Unfortunately, not all of us are natural gym junkies and if the thought of spending an hour surrounded by sweaty, buff bodies and fighting for your turn on the elliptical makes you want to run in the opposite direction, we feel you.

But, there are ways to get fit without a gym membership; the secret is to get a little creative.

nib's The Check Up spoke with fitness expert and lover of the great outdoors, Cassey Maynard to get her insider tips and tricks for those of us who might not want to commit the time and money into heading to the gym.

1. Active date with a mate

Instead of going for a drink or dinner with your friends, organise a fit date. Stretch it out with yoga or sweat it up with a dance class. Get the conversation and heart-rate up with a hike or a long walk. Whatever you choose, all you need to do is get moving together. It won't feel like exercise if you’re having fun with friends!

2. Outdoor activities

Yep, that’s right! Take the office outdoors and next time you have a meeting, suggest walking with your colleagues – it’s such a great way to stay active during the working week. Sitting inside the office all day can really impact your mood. Changing it up and moving outdoors is a way to keep active but also a way to boost your mood and overall morale of the team. Moving throughout the day will also make you feel less guilty if you miss a post work gym sesh.

3. Time for Tabata

If you thought you needed a good hour or two to be able to do a workout, you thought wrong! It’s time to change your mind-set and embrace Tabata. Get your phone out and set up your timer for a four-minute sweat session. Tabata is made up of 20 seconds of activity and 10 seconds of rest. Choose two exercises and alternate between them.

4. Get skipping

Go back to your youth and skip it out. All you need is a skipping rope and a few minutes – I guarantee you’ll get your heart rate up and your body sweating. Skipping is perfect if you’re short on time, and want to squeeze in a quick workout. Need a challenge? Try and hit 50 skips in 30 seconds, rest for 10 seconds then repeat.

5. The abs-olute workout

Kick start your core with this quick and easy ab workout. Start with 16 fast bicycle runners (lay on your back with legs lifted to a 45-degree angle and arms behind your head. Pull one leg and the opposite arm so your elbow touches your bent knee) and then do 16 slow, controlled sit-ups. This little workout will BURN, but it won’t leave you too sweaty, so it can be easily be done during your busy work day.

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