New year, new you
Seven cheap ways to get fit
IS your New Year’s resolution to get fit in 2017? Will you join a gym and get tied into a 12-month contract?
Or hire a personal trainer and spend upwards of £25 a session?
So often our resolutions fail before January is even half over, meaning that investing a small fortune in getting fit can be an expensive mistake. That’s especially true if you’ve signed up for a year-long gym membership.
Anyway, getting fit can be fun and shouldn’t be a financial burden. Maybe you’ll even find your resolution easier to stick to it if isn’t costing you a fortune. Read on for our top tips…
1. Get off the couch and run 5k
No, we don’t expect that you can simply get up on New Year’s Day and run 5 kilometres, not if you’re not used to running. But there are many couch-to-5k programmes that are designed to gently build up your stamina and get you used to getting out and running.
We really recommend the NHS’ couch to 5k programme, which is based around three runs a week over nine weeks.
It begins with running for just a few minutes at a time, but by the end you’ll be able to run for 30 minutes or more. It was designed to help someone in their 50s start running, so it’s very gentle and gradual.
You can also download similar apps that let you listen to your own music while the running programme lets you know what to do. Best of all, it’s totally free. 2. Use a simple workout programme
“If exercise were a pill, it would be one of the most costeffective drugs ever invented,” says the NHS. And that’s prob- ably why it offers so many free exercise programmes for people to download from its website.
There’s a page of gym-free workouts, a five-minute wakeup workout, six 10-minute workouts and even a 12-week fitness programme, which would take you as far as March.
3. Use YouTube for free fitness
YouTube is filled with free exercise programmes, including yoga, aerobics and even boot-camp style workouts.
While it might be hard to copy exercises from books and manuals, it is much easier to get them right when you can watch them on a screen. Just make sure you choose highly rated videos to view, so that you can be sure you’re learning from the best. 4. Cycle to work If your commute allows it, cycling to work can save you money on car running costs
and boost your fitness. There’s even a Government-sponsored Cycle To Work tax break scheme, which allows you to pay for a bike out of your pretax salary. That means you can save up to 42% on the cost of a new bike if you don’t already have one.
Of course, if your commute is particularly long or uphill then this is probably only an option if your workplace has showers. But if you can make it work then that’s 10 bursts of exercise a week, not a bad start to a fitness resolution. 5. Use your phone Forget Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja, your phone can actually help you get fit for free – or for just a couple of quid.
There are loads of fitness apps, some free and some cheap, and they can help you get into shape and stay there.
The best app for you depends on your goals, but our favourites include the Zombies Run! App which encourages you to run by simulating a zombie chase – highly motivational.
6. The 30 day abs challenge
Want to transform your podgy belly into a toned tum? If you want to kick start 2017 with a workout programme that gets gradually harder then you can’t really do better than the 30 day abs challenge. Best of all, it could allow you to see real progress even before February arrives.
It’s a month-long programme that gradually gets harder and harder (and then even harder. But only gradually, we promise) until your core is made of steel and you can do sit-ups and plank while watching TV.
There are many different programmes available but this one is a good example 7. Outdoor gyms Gyms are expensive, some really expensive. And while it’s great news that there are now some where the membership is just £5 a month with a £10 joining fee we think we can do better. In fact, we know we can.
How? Well, across the borough you can find free-to-use outside gyms, with a range of familiar equipment from cross trainers to leg presses for anyone looking to get toned, buff or just lose a few pounds.