11 ways to get fit for free
Getting fit doesn't have to cost a fortune. And you don't have to go anywhere near a gym!
There are plenty of ways to fit exercise into your weekly routine. I’m going to highlight 11 steps that shouldn’t cost you a penny.
1. Get walking
Try to incorporate lots of brisk walking into your everyday routine. Take the stairs rather than the lift, get off the bus a stop early, or take a walk during your lunch hour.
For longer jaunts, use the Walking for Health website to find some of the best walks in your part of the country. If you register on the Get Walking website you should receive a free starter pack, including a walking plan, logbook and step counter.
And if you don’t fancy walking alone, join your local rambling group instead. You can find a group in your area using the Rambling Clubs website.
2. Cycle to work
Swap your tube or train ticket for your bicycle and cycle to and from work. If you’re not quite ready to do this every day, start with one trip a week and work your way up as your fitness levels increase.
3. Man’s best friend
Taking a dog out and about is likely to make your walks more fun, and more energetic! If you don’t have a dog of your own, see if you can borrow one from a friend or neighbour.
This dog play website highlights lots of games and activities to keep both you and your mutt fit and focused.
4. Contact your inner child
Do your kids spend too much time in front of the TV or computer? Get them playing some games outdoors - and join in. If you’re not a natural footballer, try a gentler activity like Frisbee or kite flying.
5. Home and garden
Gardening and hoovering are both excellent ways to keep fit. Even washing up or cleaning the windows will burn a good few calories!
Research suggests that doing regular weekly housework could burn off over 50,000 calories a year. You can find the best chores for a workout here.
6. Volunteer outdoors
There are plenty of charities who need volunteers to work in the great outdoors. For example, the Wildlife Trusts always need people to help with conservation work - everything from pond and woodland maintenance to acting as a wildlife guide.
To find out about the volunteering opportunities in your local area, look at this page of their website. You’ll get fitter, meet new people and do some good at the same time!
7. Stand on your own two feet
Try to stand, rather than sit, when you’re traveling on public transport. This will burn more calories and help tone your leg muscles.
If you balance on your own (rather than holding on to anything) you’ll be working your core stability muscles, too.
8. Don’t slouch!
Many of us are guilty of poor posture, especially when sitting at a desk or at the dinner table. One way to improve posture (and avoid damage to the lower back) is to sit on a Swiss ball instead of a chair.
Your core muscles will have to work harder to keep you balanced, so it will be much more difficult to slouch.
To pick up a Swiss ball (or other fitness equipment) for nothing, check community freebie sites like Freegle and SnaffleUp. People use them to give away things they no longer want or need, so search regularly and you might be in luck.
9. Swap fitness DVDs
If you’ve done your existing fitness DVDs to death, why not swap them for some new ones?
Swapping websites like SwapShop and Swapz will let you do exactly that - and it needn’t cost you a penny.
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10. Sleep yourself fitter
Related how-to guide
Set a budget and stick to it
Learn how to successfully squeeze your budget.
See the guideOne of the easiest ways to keep fit is to make sure you get enough sleep. When you’re asleep your body releases growth hormones, which help maintain and repair muscles and burn fat.
Of course, you still need to exercise during the day!
11. Use a free gym pass
As you can see, fitness doesn’t need to be about the gym. However, if you do want to give it a go, take advantage of the free one-day gym passes many chains offer.
For example, you can currently pick up free passes when you register with FitnessFirst, Esporta or LA Fitness.
Alternatively, you can get a free trial class when you sign up with British Military Fitness.
Just be aware that the gym will probably put pressure on you to sign up for paid membership afterwards; so be prepared to say a firm ‘no thanks’!
More: Top tips to slash your weekly food bills! | Cut your petrol costs by a third
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Doing the dog walking option can actually [b]make[/b] you money: walk someone else's at the same time. I am getting quite a bit of extra pocket money from this [url=http://www.theleadrole.co.uk]www.theleadrole.co.uk[/url] and have set up another website describing how to do it [url=http://www.followthelead.org.uk]www.followthelead.org.uk[/url]. Don't expect a living wage, but do expect to get an extra £100 per week for something you were doing anyway (walking the dog) and getting fit!
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Excercise has far more value if the intensity is sufficient to increase breathing rate and to raise the heart rate to at least 120 (count your pulse over 6 seconds and multiply by 10). If totally unfit, do not exceed 120 for the first few weeks. At a minimum, excercise for 20 minutes a day, 5 times a week. Most people's idea of walking a dog is to stroll around on a bit of grass tossing a ball while the dog does all the running. Find a bit of woodland or rough ground, prefferably hilly, don wellies or hiking boots and walk as fast as you can on the most difficult terrain you can find. Break into a jog if you feel up to it. Rough ground is great for the dog, too! The importance of a good diet cannot be over-emphasised. That means 1. at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day (7 is better). Uncooked vegetables are converted less efficiently to calories than cooked vegetables and more of the vitamin and anti-oxidant content is preserved (the exception is tomatoes - the lycopene (a potent anti-oxidant) is not bioavialable from fresh tomatoes). Salads don't have to be boring. Some herbs and/or freshly-picked basil leaves, a grind of black pepper, a splash of olive oil (cold-pressed), which provides essential fatty acids, and a dash of balsamic vinegar, makes all the difference. 2. avoiding processed food (usually packed with sugar, salt and preservatives). Read the ingredients list carefully. 3. going easy on red meat 4. not using ANY salt (there's more than enough in the normal diet and many things, including bread and cheese, contain loads of added salt). The current WHO guideline for total daily salt intake is 4 grams - that's less than a flat teaspoon. Bananas and avocados are high in potassium - potassium counteracts the hypertensive effects of salt. 5. being careful with alcohol. In terms of losing weight: 1. Go easy on the carbs - carbs delay the "I'm full" signal from the stomach to the brain so there is a tendency to keep eating past the point of satiation. 2. Proteins do the opposite - they sends a potent satiation signal to the brain (that's why the Atkinson diet works). White chicken meat and cottage cheese are good sources of protein which contain very little fat. The calcium in cheese also safonifies fats, making them less easily absorbed by the gut. 3. Skipping meals is a bad idea - starvation dramatically increases the craving for high-calorie food. 4. Be aware of the calorie value of what you eat. Some foods are horrendous - a small bar of chocolate contains more calories than a chicken dinner with boiled potatoes and salad.
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Thanks for your useful tips and comments everyone! Serena
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31 October 2010