Fitness tips from cyclist and trainer Charline Joiner

The Commonwealth Games silver medallist has created a shape-up for summer workout plan that you don't even need to leave your living room to do. "You can do these exercises at home and they won't take long: no more than 15-20 minutes," she promises.

Joiner, 27, recently set up her own Glasgow-based personal training business. She continues to race bikes and already this year has racked up national wins and podium finishes.

With a hectic schedule, Joiner has learned the art of staying fit and healthy while juggling the demands of everyday life.

Maintaining peak physical condition is not only her bread and butter, but something which she perhaps appreciates more than most.

It is less than 18 months since Joiner broke her back in a horrific training crash in Spain while preparing for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. As she lay in a hospital bed with three fractured vertebrae, Joiner initially feared she may not walk again, never mind ride a bike.

"When I was coming back from my injury and trying to make the team for the Games, it helped that I always believed I would be there in Glasgow," she says. "I felt grateful it wasn't a lot worse."

Dunfermline-born Joiner not only battled back to cycling within a few short weeks, but went on to represent Team Scotland last summer.

Ask about her philosophy for life and she will tell you about her "attitude of gratitude".

"A lot of people focus on what they don't have and get stressed out about that," says Joiner. "They forget to be happy and grateful for what they do have.

"If you concentrate on what you do have first and truly believe you will get to where you want to be, then it will happen. It is about positive thinking and self-belief."

The key to staying motivated, she says, is making sure there is a steadfast support system in place around you.

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"Try and find a training partner, either a friend or even get your family involved," she says. "When you have that support you are more likely to succeed.

"It makes keeping fit fun and enjoyable so it feels less of a chore. Making plans to go train with someone also means you are less likely to cancel."

Visualisation, says Joiner, is another powerful tool. "If you dream of that beach body, rip a photograph out of a magazine and pin it on your wall where you will see it every day as a reminder of what you are working towards," she says. "Visual props are great for firing motivation. Write down a list of goals."

Joiner took up cycling at 19 after a run of injuries as a hockey player. Three years later she won a silver medal in the women's track cycling team sprint at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

She comes from a sporty family. Joiner's older brother Craig has 25 rugby caps for Scotland, while her boyfriend, Lee Jones, who she met at the Games in Delhi, plays for Glasgow Warriors and has four international caps.

Her father Mike is a retired international triathlete and sports coach, while sister Kerry used to play under-18 hockey for Scotland.

Off the bike, Joiner has a degree in sports and exercise science. In addition to one-to-one personal training sessions, she offers a cycling-specific fitness programme.

Alongside her pick of five exercises - lunges, plank, triceps dips, bicycle crunches and press-ups - Joiner recommends the 30-day squat challenge, a plan that helps tone and sculpt the thighs and bottom.

"Make sure you get the technique of the squats correct," she says. "There are great videos on YouTube that give tutorials but the basics are to stick your bottom out, keep your chest up and stand with the feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart.

"Ensure that that the knees are in line with the feet but don't allow your knees to come forward over the toes.

"Keep your core and back tight. When you stick your bottom out, think of it as if you are about to sit down on the loo or a chair."

According to Joiner, a common mistake is becoming overly focused on how our bodies look without paying enough attention to what foods we are putting inside it.

Eating a healthy balanced diet is essential in conjunction with a fitness plan: there is no point in having a honed six-pack if it is hidden underneath a layer of belly fat.

"Nutrition and exercise work hand-in-hand," she says. "You can't have one without the other. If you want to strip that top layer of fat, you need to watch what you are eating.

"Have a cheat day once a week but the other six days aim to eat well. This includes a high protein breakfast with poached, boiled or scrambled eggs - as long as they are not fried - and smoked salmon or ham.

"People often worry about eating fat but good fats are the building blocks for a balanced diet. Try to include foods like avocado and coconut oil. If you want to get lean quickly avoid bread, pasta and processed food such as pizza. In their place use rice, quinoa and couscous.

"Reduce portion sizes and have plenty of protein in your diet such as chicken and fish. Eat vegetables with every meal."

Those who start exercising for the first time or following a long break can quickly be put off again by the dreaded DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness - that makes us feel achy and stiff after a workout.

Joiner promises that a little short-term pain for long-term gain is worth it. "DOMS happen because it is something your body isn't used to, but that does ease the more you exercise," she says. "After a couple of weeks you won't even notice it. Stretch lots before and afterwards to loosen up the muscles as this will help."

For more information or to book a training session, email: charlinejoiner1804@hotmail.co.uk