Did you know that sometimes the best pieces of fitness equipment are often seldom designed for that purpose initially? Everyone is aware that training shoes have been designed to provide support for runners and other athletes, that swimming gear is designed to offer less resistance through the water and that football boots are designed to give a player grip on the grass as well as offer protection for the foot, allied to feel for the ball.

Yet in your home there are undoubtedly many items you use on an almost daily basis that can be utilised as part of a physical fitness program and which will make undertaking that schedule more fun, easier and hopefully, more effective.

Outlined below are five such items which you may have lying around the home but which you could use to help keep you focused on your training regime!

1. iPod / MP3 Player

Whether you are walking, running or even swimming, your personal music player can be one of your most powerful allies on any fitness drive. Stephen Fry lost an amazing seven stone while dieting, attributing his huge loss in weight to the fact that he spent many hours a day walking while listening to his iPod. Visit any gym and you will see people training with their earphones clipped in. Nowadays, you can even buy waterproof personal music players to use in the pool. Simply load up your player with the fast-paced, inspirational music of your choice and you have your own personalised fitness soundtrack which is not only enjoyable, but can inspire you to greater performances.

2. Smartphone

There are many smartphones available nowadays and as this technology has gained wider acceptance across society, their use has changed somewhat. Instead of being a device primarily used to call other people, smartphones now have a myriad of other features and uses. One of the most common is to download apps and there are a wide range of apps available that can help you improve your fitness. There are apps that allow you to devise workouts wherever you are (home, gym, hotel), target specific areas of the body (abs, arms, cardio), through to apps that look at Yoga, or can keep track of the speed, distance and time you have taken on your runs.

3. Games Console

It is tempting to think of games consoles as being one of the reasons many people are now heavier than they should ideally be, but in truth, games consoles can be one of the best and most easily accessible ways to exercise. The success of the Nintendo Wii in having the player use entire body actions to play the game on the screen, meaning it was a far more physical game than traditionally players were used to, has spawned a whole new generation of fitness games. Nowadays players can undertake their own physical fitness program on Wii Fit, dance to the latest tunes, indulge in a spot of Yoga and much more. Games consoles are now no longer just the realm of those wanting to kill zombies!

So next time you are sat down, remember there are gadgets you use each day that can help you get fitter and healthier, so why not give them a try?