A decade ago we were bombarded with images of celebs on their way to and from the gym. For the first time since gyms muscled their way into the public consciousness in the Eighties, there has been a sharp decline in the number of people joining them.

Thanks partly to changed lifestyle choices and partly to the economy, the gym’s heyday has come and gone.

Alternative forms of exercise are flourishing. Dedicated yoga and Pilates studios are on the increase, more people are running now than during the jogging boom of the 1980s, and participation in activities as varied as ballroom dancing, ice-skating and triathlons is rising.

It has become obvious to consumers that there are other, more appealing, means of burning calories - and that even walking the dog or cycling to work can be considered battling the bulge.

You don’t need to make big changes to your lifestyle, such as going to a gym every day. Consistency is what matters - and that means that activity must become a habit. So if doing the school run on foot or running on your home Precor elliptical is something you are more likely to keep up, that is better than a step class once a week.

Tags: ballroom dancing, celebs, changed lifestyles, exercise, gyms, ice-skating, jogging boom, Pilates, school run, yoga