Getting Fit Easily on a Budget

There's no quick fix to getting fit and healthy, but that doesn't mean that it can't be done easily on a budget. I thought I would write this blog post to give a helping hand to those who don't want to spend £50 per month on a gym membership or £100 on a pair of leggings but still want to find a sustainable way to stay healthy.

Create a list of things that you will need.
This will obviously depend on how you plan to exercise. In my mind, however, whether it be running, dancing, Pilates or anything similar, I would say that my essential items are as follows:

• Trainers -  you don't need to spend a fortune on these, don't worry. One of my biggest tips in this entire blog post is to make Decathlon your new best friend. For under £30 you'll be able to find a decent pair of trainers; don't buy something specialised at first, you always have the opportunity to buy something specific if your regime goes well.
• Vests / t-shirts. - personally, I prefer to wear tighter tops for activities such as Pilates or general toning and looser fitted vests for cardio activities such as running as I find them both more comfortable when used for these purposes. For tighter fitting tops, other than Decathlon, try Primark's sports range, they have some genuinely brilliant tops there (also great fast dry t-shirts for hiking etc.) that are comparable to expensive items x10 the price. For looser fitting items, I'll either wear a sports one or simply a light, loose vest, which I usually pick up in the summer months but can be found pretty much anywhere.
• Running shorts/jogging bottoms/ leggings - I'm not a massive fan of jogging bottoms, I find them a little flappy and tend to prefer leggings (usually 3/4) for dancing, toning etc. I would say that this is where quality really does matter, cheap leggings and jogging bottoms can be nearly see through, uncomfortable, tear easily (very bad for flexibility) and not allow your sin to breath during cardio. Pineapple Dance Studios (I usually buy from Debenhams) do excellent leggings and jogging bottoms and (AGAIN!) Decathlon has a huge range that are very high quality - have a look in the Domyos or Kalenji ranges. In terms of running shorts, my favourites are also from the Decathlon Kalenji range. New Look also do a surprisingly extensive and high quality sports range that is definitely worth looking at, particularly if you are one that is a fan of modern, geometric prints in sportswear, similar to those that Adidas and Nike are fond of.
• Hoodies/ jumpers - buy from anywhere! I usually workout indoors so don't use them much but when I am hiking or running outdoors, I like the Mountain Warehouse fleeces. They are thin and lightweight but warm and, as they don't have hoods, don't flap around. For proper sports jumpers, DECATHLON! Are you fed up yet?
• Yoga/ floor exercise mat - if you're looking to do Pilates or HIIT workouts etc. I can't recommend one of these enough. You can buy them from anywhere, mine was from a dancing/Pilates store I think but you can genuinely buy them from most places (Argos?) for not much money at all.
• Water bottle - I'm sure you know how important it s to stay hydrated during exercise, I personally prefer to have my own refillable sports bottle than use plastic, disposable ones but it's up to you, just make sure you stay hydrated, even if you don't feel thirsty.
• Other websites worth a mention are the likes of Wiggle and Amazon, you can get brilliant deals from a variety of brands on these websites and I've always had good experiences with them.
• This is for the girls: a good quality sports bra - you'll thank yourself in a few years! M&S are excellent for these and although they are slightly pricier, everytime I visit, there are sports bras in the discount section. I've not tried much else from their sports section but I've heard good things
• Extra : kettlebells/ a form of weights - this really depends on what exercises you would like to do and you might want to try these after you've discovered the best workout for you as they are slightly more pricey.

Things that you can do

Here are just a few, free/ cheap ways to get fit without the high gym fees or the cost of professional equipment:

• Just run! Put on your running shoes, invest in an armband for your phone or MP3 player, stick in some headphones and go for a jog or even a brisk walk. Start small,remember, it's better to start steadily and build up as it'll make you more likely to continue to do it. Set small goals and plan a time for you to go each day.
• Fitness Blender - cannot recommend this channel enough. The website posts workout/fitness videos on fitnessblender.com and YouTube for all workouts, abilities, calories and amounts of time. You can easily personalise your workout and your time isn't spent watching adverts or watching fake tanned, dazzlingly white toothed body builders yelling at you from the screen. It's really laid back but still motivational and most of all, free!
• Join classes/cheap gyms - particularly if you do live in a town or city with gyms that are amazing value for money (I think Simply Gym etc. are great) then I would definitely try that or going to a fitness class, often the ones at your local lesuire centre (particularly public, council owned ones) are really great value for money and being in a group can keep you motivated.
• Get together with friends - something my friends and I did a lot in 2015 was to book a badminton court on a Saturday evening and catch up for an hour whilst running around the court like mad men. It was so fun that nobody noticed we were out of breath! Another bonus to this is that, particularly if you get 4 of you, it will only come to around £1 each if you split the cost. In sunnier weather, you could use free tennis courts in parks too!

I really hope you've found this useful, you can now subscribe to receive email alerts for new blog posts too!

Comment what you do to keep fit on a budget or just keep fit in general

and don't let anybody put you off doing this for you! Remember to exercise because you love your body, not because you hate it and take it slowly and build up :) I cannot emphasise how much happier I am when I'm frequently exercising and I don't think I need to tell you the health benefits!

Love you lots,
Elle xxx

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