I'M wearing what can only be described as a skin-tight, thigh-skimming, black neoprene skirt which flares out dramatically at the bottom - if I wore this on the high street I'd be arrested for indecent exposure!

But this get-up has nothing to do with any fashion fetish, it's to do with the latest fashion craze Vacushape - a new machine described as the healthier alternative to liposuction.

The skirt is clipped over the top of a white pod that stands about waist-high and houses a running machine - the sort of kit you'd expect to find in a gym.

Sarah Squire who has installed it at the back of a hair and beauty salon called High Maintenance in Parkstone, hits a few buttons on the console and clips a little probe on my finger to monitor my heart rate.

After a ten-minute warm-up, she hits a few more buttons to switch on the vacuum and the machine sounds as if it is preparing for take-off.

Not surprisingly my pulse starts to pick up at this point, which has more to do with the fear of having my insides sucked out than my fitness ability.

It's a rather strange sensation at first - it feels as though I'm walking through water with a corset on, but you soon get used to it.

Apparently half an hour in the pod will achieve better results than the same amount of time pounding on a normal treadmill.

Sarah explains that when you exercise, the body draws upon its fat reserves for energy. But the problem with most forms of exercise is that it tends to work on areas that have a good blood supply. The theory is that this machine will help to reach those parts (ie hips, tums and bums) that other forms of exercise cannot reach!

"If you work out running or cycling, you'll notice that certain parts of your body still feel cold compared to the rest of you and that's because the blood circulation is not so good there.

"This machine helps to stimulate the blood flow to these areas so it focuses the fat-burning process. It can also help reduce the appearance of cellulite, too."

Apparently there is documented evidence from the Czech Republic, where the Vacushape was developed and manufactured, that it works, although it is still very new to this country - in fact Sarah's pod is currently one of only two in the whole of the UK.

"Every single person has had results," says Sarah. "Most people will drop a dress size within ten sessions but you do have to be prepared to put the time in and ideally have a couple of sessions a week initially".

After only seven sessions I lost around six and a half inches overall and people did notice that I'd appeared to lose weight.

My clothes definitely felt loser around my middle, although according to the scales I hadn't actually shed any pounds.

On the plus side it does keep you fit and is a great solution for the gym-shy as you can work out at your own speed in a private room.

Like many of these things though, once you reach your desired shape you do need to have weekly maintenance sessions.

For a free no obligation trial session, contact Sarah on 07825 131651 or 01202 744959 or visit her at High Maintenance, Richmond Road, Poole.