Save up to £360 per year by ditching the expensive gym membership and trying these 7 alternative ways to exercise without having to pay out a penny.
If you need to find a way to cancel a gym membership, there are some ways to get out of your contract.
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Gym membership can be pretty damn expensive! Some 9.5 million British adults pay monthly gym membership fees – that’s 19% of the country! However one in ten of these people continue to pay for the gym even though they never visit or go less than once a week.
Almost half of gym members pay between £20 – £40 a month which wastes an average of £360 per year. What else could be done with that money?! Also if you’re buying supplements from somewhere such as BlackStone Labs; a cheaper alternative to the gym is definitely beneficial.
If you are an avid gym go-er then good for you. You are paying for a service and are getting use out of it. However, if you are not going to the gym then you burning your money but are certainly not burning any fat!!
Love the gym
I would love to have a gym membership (actually I love the idea of having a gym membership). I have all the intentions of saying that I could use all the equipment, get myself slim, trim and extra lean but would I? Realistically, do I have the time?
During the day it’s not going to happen because of time. First thing in the morning is set aside for the school run panic, the day is a write off with work and after school comes dinner, bath and bed. This leaves my evening to work out at the gym but by this point, I’m shattered.
With everything else I try to do in the evenings, I would just run out of time to get there and do the exercise. The thought of it is very nice. The realities of me using it are, well, pretty low. Plus there are the costs associated with having a gym membership which really frightens me!
This doesn’t take away the fact that I still need to exercise.
Moving more and eating less is the equation that equals a healthy lifestyle and weight loss.
But, can this be done without an expensive gym membership?
Of course it can!
Walk
Leave the car keys at home and strut your stuff. Whether you choose to walk to the shop around the corner, start doing the school run on foot, or go a bit further and walk to the supermarket and back (probably only for a few days worth of food) you can start getting healthy.
Most of the exercise I do is walking and I find it better with a buddy for support and so the journey doesn’t become mundane. However, I also quite like some time alone as I get a chance to clear my head. I get bored going the same routes so mix up where I go and try to do longer walks at the weekend that are a bit further afield.
I either time my walks with my watch or have downloaded apps to track the distance.
Dance
Shake that booty!! Not necessarily in a club on a Saturday night but there is nothing stopping you from turning the TV over to a music channel and having a 20 minute dance around the living room.
Choose music with a good beat that really gets you going, even if it’s cheesy 80s music! If you have kids anything like mine, they will love it and join in!
Take the stairs
It’s so easy to use the elevator, or jump in the nearest lift, but don’t. It’s a lazy option and a quick fix. It seems like stairs are going out of fashion. Just thinking about my local shopping centre and to get between floors, the escalators are positioned near each of the main entrances but you have to hunt around to find the stairs.
If you work in a larger office then you’ll probably have the option of a lift or stairs too. You could burn 15 calories if you walk up one flight of stairs, three times per day, which soon adds up.
Work out with YouTube
YouTube is full up of videos for any occasion. Whether you want to see cats doing cute things, Charlie biting his big brother’s finger or endless tutorials to doing your make up then you are fixed for life.
If you want to make use of YouTube for exercising then you’ll be at the right place. Instead of forking out money on the latest fad exercise videos, turn to online help for your 20 minute workout.
Whether you want to do HIIT exercise, yoga or are looking for a more gentle warm-up and down, there are loads of options to choose from.
What I quite like about these videos is that it feels like you have a personal trainer telling you what to do. They usually have a timer as well so you can track your progress.
Weight lift beans
Well if you don’t have any baked beans in the cupboard then grab tins of anything else. By lifting even small weights it can help to build muscle, which in turn leads to weight loss. When it comes to walking up the stairs, take the beans with you and it gives you that little bit more exercise.
One mum even went to far as losing 10 stone by using baked beans weights in her homework out routine!
Do the housework
I’m sorry. I said the “H” word. I am not a fan of cleaning but the one thing that sticks with me as I run the vacuum around is that I’m burning calories.
Whether it’s just ironing, cleaning the bathtub or mowing the lawn, each small household task gets your heart beating and burns energy. You also get the added bonus of having a cleaner home too!
How to get a free gym membership
If you still would prefer to head to the gym to work out, instead of doing the exercise from home, then try these free gym membership trials.
Many gyms offer free passes as a way to get new people through their doors and have them sign up.
Take advantage of the free membership and don’t sign up for anything, unless you can really afford it – and will use it!
Your local gym may not be listed but it doesn’t hurt to give them a call and see if they offer a free guest pass.
You could also ask any friend and family if their gym offers a free family ticket. I was offered a free 7 day pass the other day via my sister in law so these types of offers do exist.
If you are one of the people who hasn’t got around to cancelling their unused gym membership then use these free alternatives to the gym and start saving some money!
Penny for your thoughts? Are you guilty of paying for an unused gym membership? How much would you save by cancelling it and using free alternatives instead?
Steve says
I couldnt afford a gym, and like you say, wouldnt have the time. What I have done though is take a serious look at my diet ( which I log on MyFitnessPal ) and also bought myself a Fitbit. The two together have been brilliant for me. Watching what I’m eating and also trying to beat target each day which motivates me to take more steps or stairs etc.
Naomi @ the Skint Dad blog says
That’s a good point – watching what you eat will also very much help. How do you get on with the Fitbit? I love the look of them but the price always puts me off.
Julia Leszczak says
I’ve done this so many times, but have found that for me the best way to free exercise is the website Meetup. There are so many different free exercise groups, from yoga to bootcamp, and it’s such fun!
Naomi @ the Skint Dad blog says
Good call Julia. I’ll check it out
Claire says
I have lost weight recently but to loose that last little bit I am going to have to move more. The local gym to me has a subscription of £400 a year (I don’t think so) I going to our local council led swimming pool but instead of going for 2 40 minute swims at £4.45 each I do 1 80 minute swim. I have also looked at you tube and found a great channel called fitness blender they have all sorts of exercise videos with a range of times. The one I tried this morning was 10 minutes long. I have bought a pedometer the cheapest I could find was £6 so I am more aware of the steps that I take in a day especially because I have a desk job.
Naomi @ the Skint Dad blog says
£400 per year!! Ouch!! I’d lose weight with the worry of spending all that money!
A pedometer is a good way to track progress. There are loads of apps you can download on smart phones to monitor who you’re getting on too.
The Collage Queen says
Why go to the gym when you can go out walking with a purpose ie. geocaching. Great fun for all the family, takes you to a myriad of places and fresh air.
Naomi @ the Skint Dad blog says
I forgot about Geocaching – how dare I !! I love Geocaching!
I think the reason I missed it was that you have to pay to download the full app. Although you could be very organised and plan all your caches in advance from home and just take the co-ords with you.
Thanks for the reminder Collage Queen
The Collage Queen says
We use a gps it lasts longer and holds a pocket query. Once you’ve got past the initial set up then it’s only travel expense you need worry about.
electracy says
In some areas (im in nottingham), you can get a referral for free 12 week slimming world and ymca exercise classes. If you complete the 12 week ymca class you then get free gym membership for a year, and an extra 12 week slimming world if you loose 5% of your body weight. You have to have a high BMI to qualify, but I did it and lost 2 stone so far. Might be worth asking around to see which area’s have this. It’s called healthy changes here and it’s an NHS initiative.
Naomi @ the Skint Dad blog says
I’ve tried to look for this initiative with other councils but it looks like Nottingham are leading the way. More details can be found here if anyone needs it http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/article/24286/Services-for-healthier-lifestyles
braddy415 says
Another alternative is the free couch to 5k program. All you need is an MP3 player and a decent pair of trainers. This can be downloaded from itunes or directly from the NHS website completely free and takes you from being unable to run (or in my case from a stumbling jog) to being able to jog comfortably for 5k or 30 mins, building up slowly week by week over a 9 week period. There are other programs as well, the main one can be found here http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k.aspx
I have also used various exercise DVDs/videos, some of which can be very intense and leave you in a complete and sweaty mess. These obviously have an initial outlay but can be found cheaper second hand or via ebay etc. The problem with all of these though is the commitment to use them and follow the recommended diets, I have been able to lose 2.5 stone doing these videos but some of them need considerable effort in order to complete.
Naomi @ the Skint Dad blog says
The couch to 5k does look really good!! May update this to 8 free alternative now.
Thank you for pointing it out
Naomi @ the Skint Dad blog says
I agree that the gym can be social but you don’t have to do any of these things on your own. As @julialeszczak:disqus said, you can join free local meet ups and still get your social fix.
thara ravishanker says
I cannot afford the gym anymore. During the first ever nationwide public lockdown I looked at the prices of resistance bands and exercise mats/balls online to see if I could buy one.
I also bought a exercise DVD from a local charity shop and got creative too. Instead of quick but ineffective sessions at the local gym downtown, I opted to walk in the day time around my area. I went to a local park several times in addition. I even changed my mindset.
Other good alternative options include weekly exercise classes that are held at community colleges, take a look at their website, email or call them in order to find out more or to book yourself onto a class that meets your needs etc. Half the battle is won already when you look at doing exercise as a positive thing not a chore in my opinion.
thara ravishanker says
I recommend trying the free fitness apps etc. Once I even found a cheap exercise DVD in a local charity shop four or five years ago now. Alternatively you can do a quick search on Amazon in order to find and purchase some new low cost exercise equipment like exercise mats and exercise balls too. Try doing the same.
I also cancelled my gym membership during the first ever national lockdown to save me money and time. Instead I looked for other much cheaper and free alternative options. It is amazing what you can actually find that is out there if you use your brain wisely. Whilst watching movies you can slowly dance to the music or tap your feet on the floor.
Exercise need not cost a arm and a leg. And in fact gardening is a great free way to burn off energy and keep fit at the same time in addition. Go for walks to connect with nature and stay healthy additionally. I love to do orienteering on top of that, perhaps you should try that.
YouTube has a ton of recommended exercise videos. Look on the website or use Google. Always try to think positively, and outside of the box as far as possible. That way you will find it easier.