Strength training, gym memberships, personal trainers -- they seem to be all the rage these days. Fitness has become synonymous with expensive training programs involving fancy equipment that it has greatly discouraged those with little cash to spare from ever starting on the road to improved physical health and well-being.

But there is a much simpler, long-forgotten approach that has been buried underneath all the media hype of premium gym memberships and Hollywood star fitness regimens: Bodyweight training. If you remember the burpees you did in high school, the crunches and push-ups, you know what I'm talking about. These are basic bodyweight exercises that require no apparatus but in the long-run, produce better results than the usual strength training exercises that require all sorts of fitness equipment.

Another benefit of bodyweight training is that it can be done by virtually anyone regardless of current fitness level. Thus, you don't need to worry if you haven't broken a sweat for a long time. Bodyweight training exercises range from simple trunk twists to more challenging routines like squats, push-ups, pull-ups, lunges and dips that involve various joints and result in better synchronization, increased motor abilities and greater strength. Unlike machine exercises that target a particular muscle part at a time, bodyweight training routines involves more muscles and joints. End results? Strength, flexibility and endurance with less of the soreness and muscle pains usually associated with free weight exercises.

Because bodyweight training involves virtually little or no equipment (you can use dumbbells to increase intensity of your air punches, if you like), it's highly portable and doable anywhere and everywhere. Thus, it's the ideal form of fitness training for those busy executives who are always flying all over the place and equally busy moms who are constantly running around the house minding their little ones. And because it requires virtually no cash or gym membership, it's also the ideal workout for those on a tight budget.

A few tips to keep in mind: Like any exercise regimen, it is best to consult your doctor first before starting on any bodyweight training program. This is especially true if you have a heart condition or any other preexisting illness. Start slow and gradually add to your time and/or level of intensity as soon as you've built enough stamina and determination to move it up a notch. Workouts can be made more intense with the use of weights or increasing the number of repetitions. Don't give in to the temptation of overdoing your program. For starters a 20 minute routine will do.

It's always a good idea to read up on bodyweight training and watch videos of the proper way of doing exercises before engaging in actual practice. Of course, the three tenets of eating healthy, drinking loads of water daily and getting enough rest should also form an integral part of your bodyweight training routine.