Cost Of Living Crisis: Staying Fit on A Budget

Written by Lizzie Learn On 28th Nov 2022

or the second time in two years, the UK is in the midst of an economic and health crisis. The cost-of-living crisis is severely affecting many households that are struggling to cover basic expenses such as food, housing, energy, council taxes and water.

Because of these factors, people’s health could severely deteriorate. When individuals neglect their health due to prioritising other aspects of their lives, they can become anxious, stressed and depressed, which severely affects their mental wellbeing. In this article, we discuss the options available to you to stay fit and healthy in an uncertain period.

How To Start Your Journey

Before you start exercising, consider the following.

Establish a Goal

Firstly, you will need to establish the goal you want to achieve, this could be improving your cardio-respiratory system, allowing you to walk further or run further/faster; improving your body composition, either through improving your muscle mass or reducing your body fat; or you may want to improve your emotional and mental wellbeing.

Let Your Family and Friends Know to Keep You Accountable

Once the goal has been established, let a family member know or speak with a friend with a similar goal as this will allow you to be accountable, and you can both strive towards attaining your goals.

Track Your Progress

Your goal determines which initial assessments you should undergo. If it’s losing weight, start with weighing yourself. If it’s gaining muscle, assess your body-fat levels either using a bioelectrical impedance machine or skinfold callipers, and measure your girth measurements around your limbs etc to establish if they grow over the coming months. These measurements should then be taken weekly, bi-weekly and monthly to track your progress. This will also help you to be accountable.

Get Exercising!

Now it’s time to start exercising, we discuss how you can do this on a budget.

Walk, Run and Hike

Probably the easiest and most obvious way to exercise for free is to go for a walk, run or hike. You may need to invest in some adequate clothing and footwear if you don’t already possess them, however, these items can last years if properly looked after.

If fitness levels are low, start with walking 5,000-10,000 steps per day. If you have a dog, the likelihood of you already doing this will be high, so try to increase the pace that you walk, if possible. From there, start to see the countryside and walk up hills (ascents) to get you out of breath and see your local area.

To progress further, start jogging/running (1-2km) and build your endurance up, before eventually increasing your speed.

Get Swimming

Swimming is great for mobility and exercising, and it offsets the load through your joints so it can be done daily.

If you haven’t got disposable income and you live near the coast, you could swim in the sea. Just ensure you take the necessary precautions such as knowing the tide times, ensuring friends know where you are swimming, and the time you will be coming back to shore. Or you could look for an open water swimming venue near you.

If you prefer to swim in a pool, look out for offers at your local leisure centre. You may be able to get a one-week/month free trial.

If you do to take up the offer of a free trial at a gym or leisure centre, make sure you know the full price of a membership if you decide to join after the trial. These can often work out expensive unless you make full use of the facilities.

Cycling

If you already have a bike, this can be done for free. It allows you to go further and exercise for longer durations. You can ride for hours, stopping off at interesting points, and really get to know the local area and beyond. If you don’t already have a bike, see if a friend will lend you one.

If you do have any disposable income, you could invest in a second-hand bike. Once you have made the initial investment (don’t forget to buy a helmet), you can go for a ride at any time.

Free Tennis

There are a number of locations in the UK that offer free tennis sessions at public parks. The sessions are available for all ages and abilities and also support those struggling with both mental health issues and physical disabilities.

Some tennis clubs also offer pay-to-play sessions, which are often a cheaper way to play tennis on an ad hoc basis, rather than signing up for a year’s membership. Get three friends for a game of doubles and split the cost between you.

Online Videos

There are numerous free exercise videos online. Just search for the type of exercise you want to do, and you will undoubtedly find what you’re looking for. Whether it be yoga, Pilates, chair exercises or aerobics, there is something for everyone.

The NHS has an online fitness studio providing free 23 instructor-led videos that range from 10 to 45 minutes. They even have a belly dancing workout! Another option is to try Zoom exercise classes. Some fitness instructors offer these online sessions for a fraction of the price of face-to-face classes.

Other Options

There are many more things you can do to stay fit, including:

• Take the stairs instead of taking a lift

• Get off the bus a stop earlier

• Use outdoor gyms - these are free and are mostly found in parks

• Get together with friends to kick a ball around in a local park

If you find that you do have some extra income, and you have the space for it at home, you could invest in second-hand gym equipment. You could just start with small equipment, such as dumbbells, exercise mats and resistance bands, and then gradually build it up. Once the equipment has been purchased, you will have the flexibility to exercise whenever you want.