Hitting the ball with a bat works your biceps, triceps and shoulder muscles, burning approximately 410 calories per hour. This is great to do with the kids, with a friend, or with a dog if you have one. A tennis racket, or a ping pong, rounders or plastic bat will do nicely, and make sure you use a nice soft ball like a rubber or tennis ball.

Start by softly hitting the ball in front of you, and then race with your kids or your dog as you go to fetch it. There's nothing like the prospect of winning (or losing!) to spur you on – as you're so absorbed in the game, you'll hardly notice the extra effort.

If you're with the kids or a friend, start by standing a few feet apart and move further away from each other as you progress.

Once you're more skilled, you can hit the ball harder and add in over-arm strokes to work your shoulder and back muscles.

If you're with a dog, it's important to watch for fatigue and stop when your pet needs to. For this reason I suggest only attempting to play this twice a week for 20 minutes.