Cost of living crisis: Can’t afford the gym? Here are some tips for exercising at home
As inflation continues to rise and the cost of living crisis in the UK continues to hit your finances, you may be looking at costs that you need to cut. For many fitness fans, that will likely mean ditching your expensive gym membership. But staying fit doesn’t need to be paused just because your gym membership is.
On average, fitness fans spend an average of 40 per month on the gym – but you can stay active without parting with cash.
Here are some free ways to stay active and fit – and also to engage in sociable fitness routines to keep it fun.
Get into running to save money
The most obvious free and easy exercise is running. If you’re just getting started the free – Couch To 5K app offers motivational guidance and once you’ve hit this milestone, join the Parkrun community. Taking place at 9 am every Saturday, there are over 2,000 locations in 22 countries, so take your pick.
Another app worth considering is RunTogether – a place to search for runs in your area. If you need help with your technique, The Running Channel offers advice on everything from stretching to warming up.
Running is not only a great way to get fit but is also great for your mental health. If you’re worried about money, instead of sitting inside worrying get out and get active. It may not solve your financial problems, but it can help ease the mental stresses and bring a little more clarity into your day-to-day.
Join a local sports team
If you’re struggling to find the motivation to exercise at home by yourself, think about joining a local sports team.
With your gym membership cancelled you will need to find the willpower to take charge of your fitness – whether running around your local park or finding time to get on an exercise bike. But if you can’t keep to a routine now you’ve ditched the gym, joining a local team can help you schedule your fitness and provides some much-needed fun socialising.
You can find a local football or netball team online – most local teams have a Facebook page.
Local parks often offer outdoor gym equipment if you would prefer a gym set up and cold water swimming are usually outdoors and free to join.
Find online fitness programmes
YouTube is a great place to start your fitness journey. There are many great channels dedicated to motivating you to get fit and helping with a workout that suits your goals and is completely free.
Yoga With Adriene is totally free, as are Blogilates and MadFit.
The Nike Training Club offers multiple fitness tutorials on Netflix (if you’ve got a membership) and offers a nice and quick 20-minute workout.
Cheap gym equipment worth investing in
If you’re looking for cheap equipment – Decathlon has launched a new equipment rental service, where you can borrow anything from bikes to paddle boards.
Alternatively, Freecycle and Facebook Marketplace are also useful to search for second-hand equipment or pop into your local charity shop and see what they have (they’ll usually have gym clothes in stock).
You don’t need to buy new gym wear or equipment, but if you do SportsDirect, Argos and Amazon often have good deals on gym equipment.