GET FIT FOR FREE

YOU don’t actually have to spend a penny on getting fit. To become fitter and get healthier we just need to move more. Some activities, such as walking, running and playing football with the kids are completely free (you might just need to buy/borrow some trainers).

Your local park might have free football and rugby pitches, tennis courts and even a running track if you don’t have access to a garden or don’t like running on the streets.

You can find innovative and easy ways to add more movement into your day – get off your bus or train a stop early, walk the kids to school, have a dance competition in the lounge on a rainy day or take the stairs instead of the lift. £575-a-month gym membership like Prince Harry’s! If you can’t find a group doing an activity you enjoy – why not start one? check out local community sports facilities which may have all the equipment you need at a fraction of the cost of a private gym won’t do much to help your fitness goals! Some outfits can cost upwards of £200 and that’s without the most important bit, the trainers…

Some activities do require specific kit to keep you safe or comfortable – a box for cricket, swimming costume, padded shorts for cycling or a hockey stick for example – but you can get active in anything light and easy to move in, especially when you’re just starting out.

Supermarket own-brand labels and high-street shops are a great place to head for low-cost clothes for working out in – as are discount and charity shops too.

Many supermarkets now have their own lines of activewear and provide added benefits like sweat-wicking fabric, for a fraction YOU don’t need to spend £7,000 a year on going to the gym! Many gyms and leisure centres, especially ones in your local community, are a fraction of this price.

Some offer reduced rates for students, families, older people and those on a low income. The added benefit of being a member is that you will have free access to all the facilities for as little or as much time as you want you each week.

Do your research as some gyms offer unlimited classes as part of your monthly payment – classes are an interesting and fun way to keep fit (which will keep you going back for more). SOME branded fitness trackers can be very expensive, but unless you’re a word-class athlete or training for major sporting challenge like a marathon, you don’t need a costly fitness tracker. There are lots of low cost trackers online, so it’s good to do a bit of research and ask people you know.

And the truth is, you don’t even need a tracker! There are plenty of free apps to download which cover workouts, running styles, walking routes and much more.

There are also plenty that track food intake, exercise and step count.

The NHS’ Couch to 5K is an excellent free app that gently takes you from coach potato to proficient runner in nine weeks.