‘The best £12 I ever spent’: real fitness starts with the right kit. Here’s the gear that helped these ordinary people get fit and stay motivated

If you’re anything like me, your social media feed will be awash with targeted ads for spurious fitness gizmos, questionable “supplements” and get-ripped-quick gadgets in January. “Get a rippling six-pack while you continue to rot on the sofa eating melted camembert,” they may as well say. Unfortunately, this is seldom the case.

The harsh reality is that there’s no shortcut to getting fit. But certain tools can help you get there … or at least make the process slightly less harrowing. With that in mind, we asked ordinary people who got themselves in shape about the kit they couldn’t have done without.