Our very own Reebok Sports Club Personal Trainer Tim Hart has been featured in Women’s Running this Month …

Keep it simple
Some of the best-known exercises are the most effective, so don’t worry about finding new or complicated moves.  Lunges, squats and dips can work you hard and will help you shape and tone your legs and bum fast.

Invest in a heart rate monitor
Basic ones cost around £40 and they are a great indicator of how hard you are working. Personal Trainer Tim Hart from London’s Reebok Club says: ‘It can help users push themselves harder by aiming to achieve a higher heart rate of calorie burn.’ in other words, if your heart rate drops too low, you know you need to push a bit harder (deduct your age from 220 to find your maximum heart rate, then work at 70 to 80 per cent of your MHR).

If your heart rate drops too low, you know you need to push a bit harder

Choose CV kit carefully
If you’re thinking of buying cardiovascular kit, choose with caution. Decent treadmills are hard to find for less than £1,000 and may not provide the same level of cushioning as gym machines, meaning your joints could take a pounding. Tim says: ‘By far the best value is the Concept2Rower that’s available for under £1,000.  Used in nearly every commercial gym, it will withstand home usage.’

Consider second-hand purchases
‘Home fitness equipment doesn’t always need to be new,’ says Tim.  ‘Many gyms sell old equipment when updating.  Although used, commercial equipment will still be of a higher quality compared with standard home fitness equipment.’

Cheap can be effective
You don’t need to buy expensive cardio kit. Some of the most versatile home kit is inexpensive. Kettlebells offer a wider variety of exercises than dumbbells and cost between £20 to £30 (depending on weight). Swiss balls will challenge your core muscles and cost less than £20.  Medicine balls can make leg and stomach exercises more challenging  – a 3kg ball costs less than £15.  All available on Amazon.