YOU DO NOT NEED A GYM MEMBERSHIP TO KEEP FIT!
? A common misconception is that you need to pay out an extortionate amount of money each month to keep fit.. but the truth is that you actually need only spend very little, if anything at all!
?? I quit the gym around 10 years ago as I just didn’t have the time to go (I work full time for the NHS as well as for a private Hospital & freelance too!).. the travel time, getting changed time & the atmosphere in my local gym just wasn’t for me. That’s not to say though that if you’re a member of a gym you should quit.. if you love going & can fit it in with your lifestyle then GREAT, I just want to break the myth that you NEED to go for health.
To help, here are my 5 top ways to keep fit on a budget!
I really hope you find some fitness inspiration in this blog post and I would love to hear if you have any more tips on keeping fit on a budget!
My Top 5 Tips on Keeping Fit on a Budget!
1) YouTube Videos & DVDs
I’m a massive fan of following work-out videos on YouTube as they are so accessible and make changing your workout week to week super easy (not to mention zero travel time/expense to your living room!). I have a private playlist of workouts that I love and my favourite fitness trainers are Tone It Up and Fitness Blender. From a DVD point of view I again love the Tone It Up girls as well as Nell McAndrew (for an awesome cardio workout!) and Tracy Anderson’s Mat Workout (her ab moves are brilliant!).
Regarding fitness equipment I recommend the following to create a mini home-gym (I got all of mine from Argos!):
- Workout Mat – I prefer the thin ones
- Dumbbells – I use 3kg for the workouts that I follow
- Kettle bell – I use 8kg
- Skipping rope
- iPhone or iPad (I have a hudl2 which I use to play my videos on!)
2) Walking & Park Run
Walking is one of the easiest and cheapest things that you can do to keep fit and I personally like to track my daily steps using my Misfit Shine (an activity monitor). Ideally we should aim to walk 10,000 steps (5 miles or 8km) a day which although sounds like a lot, the odd 5-10 min walk here and there can really add up; you can walk 1,000 steps in just 10 minutes. I wear my activity monitor during my workout and then try to get in a 10-30 minute walk on my lunch break at work just to increase my step count!
And if you’ve got a competitive streak and enjoy walking, jogging or running then I highly recommend that you check out Park Run, which is completely free to sign up to and involves completing a 5km circuit every Saturday morning with hundreds of other like minded individuals. Your walk/jog/run is timed and it really is so much fun!
3) Earthmiles App
Earthmiles is a free app which encourages you to walk or run more by giving you points to redeem against health foods and fitness wear. The more you walk, the more earthmiles you get (just like you get airmiles when you fly!), which in turn means more discounts! You get 1 earthmile for every 1km that you move and there are some fab brands on the app including Nakd, Sativa, Pip & Nut and Rude Health.
The app syncs with free pedometers on your phone (such as Moves) as well as activity monitors including Misfit, JawboneUP and Fitbit, and you can add friends who have the app too for extra gamification! My username is Nic’s Nutrition if you want to add me!
The Earthmiles App is available on iPhone and Android in the UK and the US and it’s free to download via [this link].
4) Local Leisure Centre
Check out your local leisure centre as it will probably offer MUCH cheaper gym memberships in comparison to your nearest commercial gym. Leisure centres also tend to offer one-off gym or swimming sessions just in case you don’t want to commit to a monthly subscription.
If you are thinking about joining a gym then I would highly recommend ‘trying before you buy’; most gyms offer potential new members a free 1 or 5 day guest pass and all you have to do to get one is ask. Checkout that you feel comfortable working out there and also consider how convenient the gym is to get to and use i.e. when would you go to the gym and what times are classes on (if you’re a classes fan!).
5) Buy Second Hand
My last tip is to think twice before you splash the cash on expensive gym equipment such as bikes and treadmills. I know so many people who have bought (usually in January!!) workout equipment with amazing intentions however now use it as a clothes horse!
If you do decide that you really want a large piece of fitness equipment then make sure to check out eBay and Gumtree first (or even ask your friends!) as you may be able to buy something much cheaper. And remember that you can always sell it on if you ever get bored with it!
I really hope that you find these tips useful!
*This blog post was written in collaboration with Earthmiles however as always all words written are my own and are 100% honest. Please read my disclaimer page for more information.