Strapped for Cash? Follow These 13 Tips to Get Fit on a Budget

2. Or Borrow Your Kit Instead

If you only need kit for a short period of time – think tennis rackets, paddleboards or a ski helmet – ask around. No takers? Decathlon.co.uk has a rental department, offering both in-store pick-ups and home deliveries, while various companies such as Homegymuk.com let you hire cardio machines… handy if you’re not totally sure about installing a treadmill in your home office.

3. Repurpose What You Have at Home

‘You can get a lot done with the stuff you already own,’ says Men’s Health’s head coach Andrew Tracey. Here are his top swaps:

• A TRX suspension trainer can be a great tool for moves such as rows, bicep curls and assisted squats. But there are workarounds. Throw a towel over the top of the door and shut it tight to secure. Hold the ends and pull.
• Load a bag full of heavy(ish) objects. You can wrap them in a sheet or towel to stop them rattling about. Now you have a makeshift kettlebell! Use it for squats, carries, deadlifts, overhead presses and swings, grabbing the top handle when needed.
• If you have access to a smooth surface, you have the foundations of a good home workout. Skip the sliders and use tea towels to perform knee tucks, pikes, hamstring curls and sliding press-ups.
• The bench is an underrated tool in itself. But you can use a sofa or chair as a base for pike press-ups and tricep dips. Or try weighted step-ups (now, where’s that rucksack…). Attempt box jumps at your own risk.

4. Bag Some Grains, and Gain

Free if you live near a beach, not much more expensive otherwise, sand is an extremely cost-effective form of weight. And making your own sandbag will more than repay your negligible investment of money and time, says Tracey. Grab a ready-made 20kg builder’s bag or buy a couple of 10kg kid’s bags to load up, which you can throw into any sturdy duffel or backpack. If the straps are strong enough, you can clean and press or swing it, while a tough tote – a ‘sand manbag’ – will allow you to work unilaterally. Gardening rubble sacks work, too.

5. Park Your Inhibitions – and Get Outdoors

Feel awkward hanging around in your local outdoor gym? Don’t. Trust us, no one’s counting your pull-ups. Still, it helps to go in with a game plan. Fortunately, Men’s Health has plenty of easy-to-follow, low-kit workouts for trainees of all levels.

Not sure where to start? Set a timer for 20 minutes and complete as many rounds as possible of the following: 12 pull-ups, 12 press-ups, 12 split-squats per leg, finishing with a 200m run. ‘You can even perform the pull-ups on the crossbar of a football goal,’ says Tracey. ‘During the runs, you want to go hard, but not so fast that you gas out after the first sprint.’

6. Make Your Boss Pay

Many companies offer employees discounts on gym memberships, or provide ringfenced ‘wellbeing’ funds which staff can put towards anything from workouts to therapy to acupuncture. Polls suggest more than half of UK companies now have a formal strategy in place for improving mental and physical well-being, so ask your HR department. It’s a more appealing proposition than yoga in the canteen…

7. Try Before You Buy

Make use of gyms’ trial periods and open days, if you want to try something different without making a full financial commitment. (Because who really wants to commit to 90 days of hot yoga?) Many gyms offer free one-day passes or cheap class packages for first-timers. Check the website or, better still, drop in and ask.

8. Know When to Save or Splurge

You can’t spend big on everything. And you don’t need to, either. We asked ultra-runner and tech editor Kieran Alger to advise on where your money really matters:

• Shoes: ‘Pricier footwear often features the best-performing foams and most cutting-edge tech. But spending more doesn’t guarantee you better or more durable shoes,’ says Alger. ‘Save yourself some bucks by looking beyond the shiny and new, and go for last-gen models that are just as good.’
• Headphones: Music boosts performance. ‘But cheap headphones often kick out tinny audio that barely masks gym-floor grunts. A little more moolah, gets you quality customisable sound, big-miles battery life and excellent durability. Everything you need for a proper motivational kick in the pants.’
• Smartwatch: ‘A cheap heart-rate monitor, phone holder, smartphone and the right apps can cover most runners’ needs,’ says Alger. ‘It’s enough to track your runs, access real-time coaching, navigate new routes and even measure your recovery. However, if you want 24-7 tracking and easy access to your stats mid-run, a sub-£200 watch has the advantage.’
• Socks: You can run in your old cotton socks but it’s a fast ticket to blisters. ‘Run-specific socks might seem overpriced but the breathable, sweat-managing technical fabrics, strategic padding and details like seamless toes, keep you moving in comfort.’

9. Buddy Up And Benefit

Can’t afford a personal trainer, but want the accountability that comes with having someone grumble about your attendance record? Pick a training programme (such as one of those in the Men’s Health app) and commit to following it with a friend. Schedule daily or weekly check-ins via WhatsApp to chart your progress together. Selfies optional, but always encouraged.

10. Download Savings

There are a few nifty apps that can help you cut costs – or even make a profit – from your gym memberships and old sports kit. Like an AirBnB for fitness, the Athlo app let’s London-based gym goers sell on any unused gym passes and classes. (Want to try somewhere new without making a big financial commitment? Partner gyms include BXR, KXU, Manor and F45.)

Or download Vinted. The cult second-hand clothing app is steadily growing a male following. Need something specific? Have a browse under the activewear, outwear and swimwear (some items are sold with tags still on) tabs before shopping elsewhere.

11. Find a Free Group Workout

Not all group workouts will cost you. Parkrun is a timed 5K held in 1,231 locations around the UK every Saturday at 9am. It’s free to participate. GoodGym – ‘a community of people who get fit by doing good’ – organises runs and bike rides to complete tasks such as helping out in community gardens or checking in on isolated older people. Smug points? Off the charts…

12. Step It Up a Gear

If you have access to a set of stairs, you have access to a decent workout. Facing side-on to the stairs, start by hopping up 10 steps on your left leg, then jog down and repeat on your right. Now face the stairs and hop up 10 steps, landing on both feet together. Now drop into a straight-arm plank, facing the first step. Place each hand on the step, one at a time, then return them to the floor, maintaining good posture throughout. Done 10? Back to the start…

13. Plus One Cool Recovery Trick

Ice baths may be hot right now, but not everyone can afford to set up a tub in their garden – just like not everyone can afford a garden to stick one it. A cold bath delivers comparable benefits. To chill it efficiently, fill an ice cream tub with water and stick it in your freezer to create a giant ice cube, then simply take the lid off and drop it in. Or try a cold shower: arguably more hardcore, says MH’s Tracey, as the running water prevents a small pocket of warm(er) water building up next to your skin.

Scarlett Wrench is the Senior Editor at Men’s Health UK.

With more than 12 years’ experience as a health and lifestyle editor, Scarlett has a keen interest in new science, emerging trends, mental well-being, and food and nutrition. For Men’s Health, she has carried out extensive research into areas such as wellness in the workplace, male body image, the paradoxes of modern masculinity, and mental health among school-age boys.

Her words have also appeared in Women’s Health, Runner’s World and The Sunday Times.