STAY young and beautiful, if you want to be loved — ran the old song.

Which is all very well but stuff like that costs money. Part of the theory is that we all have to get fit, so the answer is — join a gym.

On a budget? The Avenger doesn't think so. To get the best deals, you have to contract for at least three months or, more often than not, a year.

An Avengerette signed up to an Exeter gym for the princely sum of £31 per month. After a while, the fitness financiers sneaked her direct debit up to £35.

She complained and they slimmed it back to the original figure.

But, it's still a whopping £372 per annum and that ain't expensive in the fitness game.

A personal trainer will cost at least £30 an hour even if you block book.

And buying your own equipment for use in the privacy of your own home can run into hundreds of pounds. Not to mention taking up space and looking gross.

Exercise doesn't have to be expensive. Consider a few simple things like walking to work or the shops, swimming or cycling. They're all dynamic exercises that keep the joints and muscles moving. The continuous movement improves blood circulation, strength and endurance.

The humble bicycle is an ideal vehicle, providing both transport and exercise. And, unlike the static exercise bike, you have an ever changing view.

Isometric and dynamic tension exercises require no equipment and cost nothing. The former pit muscles against an immovable object such as a doorframe but it's muscle against muscle in the latter discipline.

Perhaps that's too complicated. Some people need the props associated with the formal structure of a gym.

Making your own weights is not difficult with a little thought.

For lighter weights, fill empty plastic milk bottles with sand or water.

Most of these have ready made handles so they're perfect for use.

For heavier weights, fill a couple of computer or duffel bags with a load of books. Again, these usually have handles and are great for exercises like bicep curls, lateral raises or one-armed rows. Smaller filled bags with handles can be used for lower body exercises like squats, lunges and deadlifts.

But if you want to get silly, the scrapyards are full of broken up car engines and Dartmoor is littered with heavy lumps of granite, ideal for dead lifts.

Please note that Dartmoor's rocks should be left in situ. Walking there provides cardio-vascular exercise while the rocks are for weight training. What a great outdoor gym.

And if you want to develop your own personal training regime, you'll find plenty of information on the internet -— free.