by Michelle Wilkinson

Created on: April 06, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Fitness means that your heart and lungs and muscles are all working efficiently; your body is more likely to be able to resist or fight disease when it has to; and you can engage in physical activity without becoming excessively tired. You also tend to be in a better state of mind and are more likely to feel good about yourself when you are physically fit, compared to when you are not. How do you achieve fitness, though? Fitness comes from engaging in physical activity, in whatever form, and so doesn't necessarily require paying excessively high gym membership fees.

Building up your fitness levels requires consistency. There is no point working out really hard for one day, and then doing nothing for the rest of the month. You need to establish a routine and stick to it. You should aim to do at least half an hour of moderate-intensity physical activity, five days a week, which can be spread out across the day if you want, rather than doing it all in one go. If you are completely unfit there is no point jumping straight into running a marathon, as it will take time for you to build up the strength and stamina needed.

Walking is therefore an excellent way to start any fitness programme, and doesn't require you to pay exorbitant fees in order to reap the benefits. It is a great cardiovascular exercise which works the heart and lungs, builds muscle tone, increases metabolism, and strengthens bones. It doesn't require a great deal of fitness to begin with, and it is an activity which can fit into anybody's lifestyle, if they are prepared to forgo the car in favour of walking instead. You can do it alone or in a group, enabling you to focus on your own goals or receive motivation from others.

Skipping is another cheap way of kick-starting a fitness programme, though it can be harder work than it looks. Skipping ropes are relatively cheap, but you need the room to be able to skip, and so it helps if you have a garden to practise in. You can burn off a substantial number of calories by skipping, and it also gives your arms and legs a really good workout.

You may decide to invest in one of the many exercise DVDs on offer, which are relatively cheap. They each have their own positives and negatives, but with so many to choose from you will no doubt be able to find a DVD which best suits your needs. All you need is bit of space in your living room and a DVD player, and you will soon be engaging in aerobic activity of one sort or another.

Getting fit doesn't begin and end with attending the gym. There are plenty of other ways to get fitter without having to invest a lot of money. You will need time and patience, but that is the case for any fitness programme you choose to follow.

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