Here's the contraption on which I get my cardio done.

It's a Waterrower, purchased in 2000. Since then it's been used sporadically, a few months on, then rather more months off. It's now a key part of my armoury in the battle against body fat with Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle.

According to their sales blurb 'The WaterRower is available in a range of models specifically styled to compliment all and any environment'. Well for most of that time it has lived in our bedroom and I'm not sure that my wife-to-be-in-twelve-days-time would entirely agree with the complimenting the environment bit. Anyway, now it's been moved to the home gym.

The device uses water resistance with a paddle in doughnut shaped container (jam doughnut, not ring doughnut). That's meant to make the experience as much like rowing as possible. I've never been a rower so I can't comment on that, but I do know that it's a nice easy machine to use and that it's virtually maintenance free.

My model is the old style which has a fixed foot rest, whilst the more recent ones have a movable affair. The fixed footrest works fine for me, but the only issue was that my trainers were starting to create grooves in the wood and they would catch on these. I fixed that by getting a piece of thick perspex made up and screwing this on top of the wooden plate.

The device stands on end when not in use and doesn't take up too much space. Once that's done it looks a bit like a French Revolution Guillotine. If we ever have a revolution then you can send all the aristocracy round to my place. I won't be able to execute them, but I should be able to give them a nasty bump on the head.