First piece of advice, pop pickers. Never, EVER try this without wearing a supportive brassiere! Being a right fatty-boom-boom, and having vowed to Alex I would faithfully try the Jump Snap throughout December, my first bleary eyed morning work-out almost ended in me knocking myself out with...well, my knockers frankly.

Jump Snap is a skipping rope without the rope. That means the benefit you get from skipping can be replicated in an enclosed environment. No need not worry about the rope tangling with your crystal chandelier or lassoing your candlestick as you flounce around your living room Fonda-esque jiggling your way to fitness.

Basically the equipment you get is two handles, skipping rope handles if you will, a series of weights to load the handles when you get a bit more advanced, a Jump Snap bag to transport it all in and a DVD to start you off in the right direction.  The DVD is rather fun. You “meet” with the scary Military looking inventor talking through why shipping is such a good Cardio and endurance exercise, this is followed by a number of different work outs you can follow depending on your level . For me, 4x2mins was just enough to keep me interested, most importantly keep me going and make a difference to my fitness.

One of the special skipping rope handles is supercharged with a variety of settings, skip counters, talk features, height and weight specifics to allow you to set a program for yourself and of course, a rope hitting the floor sound effect, to give you that realistic “I’m skipping” feeling. You can switch it off; least your partner thinks the rope cracks they hear in the other room is a dark new hobby you have developed in isolation. I did however find it useful and I knew when I should be jumping to match the skip so I would advise you keep it on.

Knocker-gate aside, I have seen my month through to the end and I can safely say I am feeling better for it. Not only have I cheered my partner up no end by bouncing on the spot for 8 minutes every morning while they plough their way through cornflakes, I can actually feel the benefit to myself when I – slightly more athletically than last month – climb stairs, go walking or reach for biscuits out the top cupboard. I can definitely feel that my fitness level has improved because of this. I’m not going to tell you it was easy.  As someone renowned for being an exercise dodger as with all keep fitty type things it does involve you finding the motivation to get up and do what is required of you every day. So, as with all these things, your results are directly related to what you put into the programme. That being so, January is going to be another Jump Snap month for me.

Jump Snap is fun – it is one of this inoffensive ways to keep you fit that doesn’t involve ritual gym humiliation or expensive equipment. At £35, it costs less than a monthly membership in a gym and will likely see you longer. I would recommend this for both the fitness dabbler who likes a short sharp work out, at home, with a nice cup of tea après session and the gym bunny who wants to have another hit of endorphins at home. If you keep doing it day after day, you will be happy with the results.

Available from JML Direct and many leading high street retailers.

Gail's website