Here we take a look at some exercises you can do anywhere, without equipment, and that only take a few minutes a day...

Press-ups

If you are new to these and need to start with knees on the floor, do so. But work towards a full press-up, keeping the body perfectly straight throughout, hands shoulder width apart. As you progress try variations on this theme. Moving your hands closer together or staggering them (as if climbing a ladder) will hit the chest, shoulders, arms and abs differently. Hooking one foot over the back of the other heel, or raising and holding one foot slightly off the ground adds greater intensity but is for the more advanced.

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Squats

Great for thighs, buttocks and core. Feet apart and parallel, back straight, lower your bottom as if sitting down slowly into a chair, then when your legs reach about a 90 degree angle drive up again in a controlled manner. Repeat.

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Lunges

Great for thighs! Anchoring the back foot on the spot, take a good stride forward dropping the back knee so it almost touches the floor. Keep the back upright at all times. Return to standing in a controlled manner and repeat. Eventually change sides and continue.

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Plank

A static exercise (pictured above) but great for abs, chest shoulders and arms. Similar to the full press-up but place your forearms on the floor, with chest, belly, hips and knees off the ground, and body perfectly straight. Hold for 30 seconds (increase accordingly), lower and repeat.

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Jump squats

Like the conventional squat but drive up with such power that you force yourself off the ground. Land, lower and drive up again. Best not to try if you suffer from bad knees but otherwise these can do wonder for the thighs and buttocks and really get the heart pumping too!

• Kate Staples is a former GB athlete and was Zodiac in TV’s Gladiators. Based in Surrey, she runs Adventure Fitness with Daley Thompson. See fitnesscamp.co.uk