*This is a collaborative post.
Photo by yogabelloso on Pixabay
In a world of constant advertising and influencer marketing at every turn, it can feel like health and fitness is something you need to pay for if you want to maximise your chances of reaching your goals. The reality is that this just isn’t the case! We may think we need some perfect product to fix all our body hang ups, but the truth is our body doesn’t know the difference between a resistance band or dumbbell and a wall or its own bodyweight. So, if you are looking for ways to get fit and healthy for free, what should you think about?
Eat Healthily First!
You can’t outrun a bad diet and if you’re trying to get fit and healthy the first thing to do is try to eat as healthily as possible. However, one of the major issues facing consumers at the moment is the increasing cost of food. With some research you should be able to find some tips to make your healthy meals go further. For example, you could add blended porridge oats into meals like bolognese and chilli. The oats can take on the flavour of the meal, while also bulking it out. You may also want to take advantage of supplements. Particularly those that provide you with nutrients you are struggling to get from your food. While supplements are not going to fix a bad diet, they could help you ensure you’re getting the vitamins and minerals you need.
Exercise With Your Bodyweight
As far as keeping fit and healthy is concerned, your body can’t tell the difference between a weight and body weight so you don’t need to hit the gym at all. Due to the cost-of-living crisis many people are choosing to give up their gym memberships and may worry that they’re going to lose the of the gains they’ve made in the gym. The reality is that you can invest in a few things like resistance bands, but you don’t actually need them. What you need to learn is how to measure your fitness levels, and you can find many resources online to do this, including this one by Mark’s Daily Apple. Because there are so many different bodyweight exercises, including simple ones, you can do a full body workout without a single piece of equipment.
Choose the Right Online Workouts
In a digital world we are spoilt for choice when it comes to online workouts. There are fitness apps, online platforms and plenty of YouTube tutorials. The right workout for you will depend on your goals. You may want to lose weight and gain cardiovascular fitness, in which case online boxing workouts could be all you need! Shadowboxing tutorials like this one are an amazing way to burn fat and increase your cardio fitness.
Make Some Simple Swaps
Why not try removing unhealthy takeaway meals? Or swapping crisps and sweet treats for fruit and nuts? Drinking water instead of fizzy drinks? Or even starting to fast. Fasting doesn’t necessarily mean going without food completely. Diets like the 5:2 diet give you a set number of calories you can consume per day and have been touted for their benefits while also helping you save money.
Looking for more ways to save money? Check out the saving money section of my blog.