When you love to keep fit, it feels natural to make sure it makes up a good part of your spare time - whether that's working out at home, going to the gym or going for a run. But, when busy lives take over, it's not always that easy. Work, families and daily life all take their toll and before you know it, your fitness regime has almost disappeared! But that's no reason to call it quits.

There are still lots of ways you can fit fitness into your life without it taking up too much time or energy. Whether you have a busy lifestyle or just have the odd day where you just can't face doing a workout, there's always something small that you can fit in to help. By squeezing little bits in here and there, it will help keep your joints loose as well as maintain your strength throughout the week. Perfect if the sporadic workouts are giving you DOMS. Looking for time-saving, gym-free exercises you can fit into your day? Just follow our top 10 life hacks for faff-free fitness – wherever you are!

1 - DON'T SLOUCH ON THE COUCH

Whether you're on your way to work, walking around the office or cleaning up around the house, just making sure you keep moving is really important. So try to find ways to keep yourself going whether it's regular trips up and down the stairs, getting in and out your chair more often or doing a few circuits of the garden to get your heart rate up.

2 - UP THE INTENSITY

They are available in a range of sizes up to 5kg which may not sound a lot, but trying to do high-knees with them strapped around your limbs and you'll soon realise what we mean! Great fitness and easy to incorporate into your working day.

3 - USE YOUR STAIRS

There's a reason stair steppers feature in so many gyms. They're so basic but they're extremely functional for fitness too. Great for targeting your glutes and hamstrings, and if you do them quick enough, you cardio health too. And it's not just about taking the stairs. Why not run up and down them a couple of times every time you use them? That way it doesn't take up too much time but do it enough times and you'll have instantly squeezed in a good 10 minutes of stepping into your day without even realising!

4 - RACE YOUR DINNER

Whenever you're cooking, there's usually a little time when you're letting things simmer or steam. And rather than flop in front of the TV or start spooning peanut butter into your mouth, why not see how many of one exercise you can fit in while you wait? Five minutes while your broccoli steams in the microwave doesn't seem a lot, but you can actually fit in literally hundreds of squats into this amount of time! Another piece of kit that's great to have around is a Pull Up Bar. Fit one above the back door or in the garage and get some chin ups in as you wait for your steak to brown.

5 - BEFORE YOU SHOWER...

Part of the problem in trying to fit a workout into your day is the worry of needing to also fit in a shower straight after. So why not weave your workouts in around your shower times? 10 minutes of sit-ups, squats and push-ups is great for clearing your mind and adjusting your focus – perfect if you have had a busy day. Do it while your bath runs or your dinner is on and then jump into the shower straight after to clean up and cool off.

6 - LOAD UP ON TINS

Getting into the car to go to the shops can become a bit of a bad habit – especially if your local supermarket is actually pretty near by. If you have the time, why not walk it? You get a bit of breathing space and it's easy exercise that you can fit into your day. Load your bags up with a few heavy items and see if you can farmers walk them home. Do shoulder shrugs while waiting to cross the road, or if you've loaded up your back pack with cans of soup, do a few squats before you pop them all away in the cupboard. Possibly won't work wonders for your cred but will do great things for your butt, thighs and lower back.

7 - GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED

Having young children is tiring enough to need an outlet at the gym. But exercise does so much more in terms of overall health and is great for boosting your immune system too. Looking to get half an hour away from your family might be impossible, but there's no reason why you can't get them involved. Even if they can't do what you can, they'll love spending time with you and just enjoying your company. If they're super little, let them snooze in your baby carrier as you squat, or wrap them round you while you do some gentle Yoga. As they get a little older, let them play and have fun trying to copy you on the mats and even have a snooze on your back as you do your push ups!

8 - ALWAYS SQUAT

Squats are the king of all exercises. They work so many areas at once so are great for helping you get the most out of your limited fitness schedule. Plus, free-standing squats don't require much in the way of equipment or space. You can do them while you play video games, while you're on the phone or even on the train home – self-confidence levels allowing.

9 - USE YOUR PHONE

There are so many apps around nowadays which are a) great at giving you ideas and motivation b) free. Which is brilliant when fitness gadgets seem to all be so expensive! Tabata timers are great because this is a type of HIIT workout that specifically requires short bursts of high intensity exercises. Loop through eight cycles of one-minute bursts and you'll be well on your way to fitting in regular exercise. Set up a reminder and work your way through quickly, all in the knowledge that it'll all be over in under 10 minutes.

10 - USE YOUR BED

Use it as a base for your single-leg squats, Bulgarian split squats and incline/decline push-ups.

And although these things aren't designed to get you to bodybuilding standard, they will help you maintain loose joints and a functional level of fitness so your body doesn't feel as shocked when you return to your fitness regime.

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Tags: Misc > Lifestyle