Fitness programmes usually contain exercises such as sit-ups, stomach curls or some sort of jumping activity. That is what you would expect, right? But have you ever stopped to consider if these sort of exercises are the best way to get fit? Or that they are even good for you? Do they really help with your sport, lose weight, stay supple or keep in shape? We have come to accept the exercise is the only way to train if we are serious about our health, fitness and performance.

I would like to suggest there is another way, and a far better way for you to get what you want from a fitness plan. What is this way? Well, what about playing a sport? When you were younger did you go down the park with a few friends and just kick a ball around? Just think how much exercise you got from doing that. Calculate how many calories were used up in one hour of playing a game of football. And don't forget the cardio-vascular benefits.

But, more importantly, just how much more fun is playing a game than doing exercises? When did fitness begin to mean exercise in place of sport? Just how many more types of exercise do we really need to learn? Surely there are only so many different types of exercise our body's can perform!

One of my main interests is the state athletes call The Zone. People describe putting in the performance of their life as one of the easiest, effortless things they have done. Everything just comes together, their body feels light, their mind clear and the whole experience is one of pure joy.

If the sensations experienced in The Zone are what it feels like for every part of our body to be working at its optimum, then our fitness programmes should surely work to replicate this. Many of today