Exercise For Less

We don’t all want to pay for gym memberships or a sophisticated home gym. The good news? We don’t have to. It’s very easy to exercise for less and maintain or improve fitness on a budget. 

Exercise should be, and really is, accessible for all, and I am about to tell you how.

Exercise

Quite simply, exercise is the act of engaging in physical activity which raises the heart rate beyond its normal resting level. It’s clear from this definition that exercise isn’t something that only occurs in the gym or whilst you are consciously ‘exercising’, as many normal day to day activities would increase your heart rate. Anyone live in an apartment with no lift? You guys know exactly what I mean!

The Benefits Of Exercise

There are many widely accepted benefits of regular exercise, it’s been proven to benefit you both physically and mentally and has even been linked to longevity of life. 

Here are the main benefits of regular exercise:

1. Supporting Weight loss

Weight loss (or fat loss, as I prefer to call it), occurs when the calories you consume are less than the calories you burn — calories in vs calories out. Regular exercise will increase your calorie expenditure resulting in you either losing weight at a faster rate or allowing you to eat slightly more food than without exercise which may make your diet more sustainable.

2. Improved Mood

Exercise releases endorphins which have been proven to inhibit pain and produce a feeling of happiness. It initiates changes in the areas of the brain that control stress and anxiety as well as making the brain more sensitive to serotonin which can relieve depression.

In a 2016 Randomised Controlled Trial by Behaviour Therapy, 24 women exercised once per week at differing rates of exertion. The study found that, regardless of the intensity of the exercise, mood was elevated following exercise. They went on to add that exercise should be used as a symptom management tool for depression.

3. Improved Muscle And Bone Health

As we age, exercise is vital in the fight against bone and muscle loss. Low levels of muscle mass can lead to Sarcopenia, which manifests itself in slower walking, reduced mobility and a feeling of being easily exhausted. Low bone density can lead to Osteoporosis which can lead to easily broken bones and bone injuries.

Both of these health risks can be reduced via regular exercise. Resistance Training has been found to prevent both Sarcopenia and Osteoporosis. A randomised controlled trial at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging found that performing resistance training three times per week increases an individual’s muscle strength over 12 weeks, helping to reverse any muscle atrophy. In regards to bone health, the Scandanavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports undertook a 1998 study, whereby half the subjects undertook a year of weight-bearing exercise and the other half did not. They found a significant increase in Bone Mineral Density in the group that undertook weight-bearing exercise.

Three absolutely worthwhile reasons to get up and get active!

Cheap Ways To Exercise

Training can be expensive, there are no two ways about it. Paying for the more expensive gyms, buying the best training gear, kitting out your garage in Rogue equipment (my dream right there), all add up and it can be daunting. It doesn’t have to be. You can easily find ways to train and stay active for very little, even free! These are my tips to enable you to exercise for less.

Exercise from Home

Exercising from home has become the norm for many of us and is a great way to exercise on a budget and has the following perks:

• It can be more convenient than using a gym before or after work

• No monthly cost

• No travel time!

• Minimal set up costs, you can set up a basic home gym for less than you think

...and that leads me very nicely on to the basic equipment that you can pick up on the cheap.

Exercise Mat

There are many exercises you can perform on the floor, such as abs workouts and a dumbbell or banded chest press. Mats are cheap, readily available and can be used as a substitute for many bench exercises if a bench is slightly out of your price range. 

You can pick up a mat for less than £20 from retailers such as Amazon and enjoy next day delivery — leaving you no excuse to get cracking on training within 24 hours.

Resistance Bands / Dumbbells

Resistance bands or Dumbbells are a must if you want to use resistance training in order to build muscle and get the aesthetic benefit of lifting heavy things. 

Resistance bands are a great place to start for beginners, who can progress with lighter resistance at first. These vary in price, but can you pick up good quality bands from the likes of Argos with same day collection, you can go today and start your training journey right now!

For the more experienced individuals, or for those wanting to build a good amount of muscle, I would recommend sourcing dumbbells. For experienced individuals, it would be more difficult to achieve progressive overload with the resistance provided by a resistance band, so opt for dumbbells instead. 

You can buy dumbbells from Amazon, the most cost-effective version being ‘adjustable dumbbells’ which allow you to change the resistance to suit several different exercises. This is definitely cheaper than buying individual dumbbells, just make sure you do your research so you don't end up buying twice.

Exercise Outdoors

What could be better than improving your health and your body for free? There are no barriers to you running, walking or performing a quick HIIT session in the great outdoors. 

I am definitely an advocate for resistance training, but combination training (incorporating both weight lifting and cardio into your training plan) will give you the best of both worlds. Save yourself a few quid by forgetting about buying a treadmill or a cross-trainer that will take up room in your house and likely end up covered in the garage, instead opting for outdoor training. Maybe even spread the health vibes by getting your friends and family involved.

Get Moving!

Exercise doesn’t need to be a planned activity that you consciously partake in. Gardening, housework, playing at the park with the kids, walking the dog or anything else that gets you off your chair will count towards your activity for the day. 

All of the activities above are free and all will give you a sense of achievement/happiness — you’ll get to enjoy those flowers you planted and get some peace and quiet when your exhausted kids are in bed early — bonus.

Free Exercise Resources

Who doesn’t love a freebie? I love a freebie and I also love sharing my experience and knowledge with as many people as possible. I want to bring exercise and a healthy lifestyle to the masses and help people to transform their physiques. One little freebie from me, to you, is my exercise database. This comprehensive compendium of exercises includes pretty much every exercise known to man and includes a form video and coaching points, so you can perform these safely, in the comfort of your own home. Just scroll down to my footer and click on ‘Exercise Database’.

There are also many, many free resources on platforms such as YouTube, there are some great example resistance sessions and HIIT sessions on my YouTube Channel and by searching for ‘30 minute workout’ (for example) you’ll see a raft of free sessions to choose from.

So, What's Stopping You?

Nothing! This very moment, you could get out and exercise for free, just by walking out your front door or by jumping onto YouTube. You can get yourself a simple set up of bands and a mat for less than £50, with no monthly cost and the convenience of training when you want. You don’t need the latest trainers or expensive clothes, hell, you can exercise in your bedroom in your pyjamas if you want to!

Exercise can be simple, can be cheap but still effective and is for everyone.