Easy beersy - Beat the booze belly without bashing your body or your bank balance

Let's face it - the student diet isn't exactly tuned for fitness.

The nights out, the junk food, the booze, and the general lazing around don't really prime you for a washboard stomach.

However, when the guilt really kicks in there are plenty of simple and cheap ways of getting that well-needed bit of exercise.

Probably the best choice for those struggling to commit to regular exercise is running (or jogging for the less enthusiastic).

There are a couple of simple reasons for this, the main one being the fact that it is completely free - taking to the pavement or running round a local park costs you nothing and doesn't leave your bank balance smarting from gym membership.

On top of this, hardly anywhere is off limits so you can adjust your route as much as you like to keep your exercise routine fresh.

Obviously there are a number of benefits to be gained from running regularly such as weight loss, improved cardiovascular health, improved bone health, improved mood and better coordination.

In terms of calorie-burning potential running is right up there as well.

Someone weighing, for example, 150lbs and running at a pace of ten minutes per mile will burn around 110 calories every ten minutes, (online calorie-counters will give you a better personal figure.

If you'd rather focus your exercise by having something to work towards, there are numerous distance races throughout the UK including the Great North Run and the Robin Hood Half Marathon.

Information on all these events and literally anything else you could wish to know about running can all be found on the Runner's World website.

However, if running isn't your thing and you're short on time then Tabata training could be for you.

This principle, created by Dr Izumi Tabata and the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, only takes four to 16 minutes, two to four days a week.

The routine involves twenty seconds of 'flat-out' exercise, followed by ten seconds of rest, repeated seven times and the beauty is that nearly any type of aerobic exercise can be used, such as sprints, push-ups or sit-ups.12»