How to Exercise for Less- Simple Fitness Tips

Often when money is tight, the first thing that gets axed from the monthly budget is the gym membership. Many consider fitness a luxury that is expensive and expendable. These top tips on how to burn fat, not cash, will show you otherwise.

Ditch the Gym

It always sounds like a great deal – “Memberships from as little as £19.99 a month.” So you sign-up, buy your branded padlock, pay for the yoga class that isn’t included with your basic membership and only use the three machines that you know how to work. Not such a great deal now.

Luckily there are alternatives that cost you nothing and give the same results.

1. Outdoor Gyms / Cross Fit Apps

You may have already noticed that a lot of urban parks now have areas kitted out with self-powered gym equipment but never thought that they are a great alternative to a conventional gym. But when you consider the fact they are open all hours, have no queues for the machines and no membership fees, what’s not to love? The Outdoor Gym Company has gyms in nearly every English county and a great online tool to show you the nearest one. So there really is no excuse not to give an outdoor gym a go.

I have been doing freeletics for quite some time. Usually getting the app at the beginning of January saves you on the subscription. Thanks to the app I am not only fit but also lost a few kgs – not that I aimed for that but the training is rather exhausting and hence it helps the metabolism to burn the fat quicker and in return we lose weight…

Last Friday when we were still in Bangkok I joined their local class in the Chatuchak Park, it was a cool experience – highly recommended if you are around there while on holidays 🙂

2. Get Running

Running is proven to be one of the best fat burning activities. It helps to tone and build muscle, boosts weight loss and metabolism, and best of all it’s free. All you need is a decent pair of trainers to start you off. To save even more money check out Student Money Saver for discounts on branded kicks. When I was preparing myself for the fitness test at the police I used an app for bleep test – its a good idea to use it as it is free and will show you how good you are 🙂

3. Body Weight Workout

Why pay to use equipment when you have all you need naturally? From press-ups, sit-ups and crunches to arm dips and Russian twists, body weight workouts are cheap, flexible and still produce results. They require no equipment whatsoever and can be done literally anywhere – on a plane, in the bathroom or in the park.

 

Work Hacks

We spend over a third of our lives at work so where better to get in that much needed workout?

The office especially, is the one place where a few simple changes can make a huge difference to your level of daily activity.

Here are some hacks to try tomorrow that are so easy you won’t even remember not doing them before.

1. Stand Up

Instead of sitting down at your desk for hours on end, stand up. To begin with try to stand up at random intervals during your day, this could be when answering the phone, reading emails or talking to a colleague.

2. Take the Stairs

Skip the lift in the mornings and walk upstairs. When you need to talk to a colleague on a different floor don’t send an email walk to their desk instead. It will save you time in the long run and boost your daily step count.

3. A Watched Kettle Never Boils

Turn your coffee break into a walking break, instead of standing in the kitchen waiting for the coffee to brew or for the microwave to ping at lunch, walk around the building for the same amount of time.
And for top marks start and end the day right by walking part of / the entire way to and from the office.

 

Team Spirit

Sign up to a local team to increase your fitness and social circle.

Joining a team is an easy way to get fit for little or no money and meet new people. Many local sports teams will have low membership fees that cover all facilities hire, purchasing of equipment and most require little or no kit. With sports like netball and women’s football growing in popularity there are teams to match all skill levels.

Online Wonders

The Internet is a free resource for top tips on diet and exercise so use it wherever possible.

Instagram is especially great. Many influential fitspo bloggers, including Joe Wicks and Emily Skye, post videos of their workout routines that can be seen by anyone.

Pinterest has thousands of infographics, pictures and links to blogs on fitness, clean eating and general health hacks. It is a great way to get inspired and keep motivated whilst saving all of your future workouts in one place.

Once you’ve downloaded the apps and pinned the routines all you have to do is go out and do them when and where you want. It really is that simple!

If you follow some or all of these tips on how to get fit for less not only should you have a healthier lifestyle but a healthier bank balance to.