With many of us still feeling the financial strain after Christmas, paying for a new gym subscription or home equipment may be the last thing on our minds.
But the truth is, you don’t need to break the bank when it comes to taking care of your health or getting into fitness in 2022.
Whether you like working out at the gym or at home, or you’re just getting started on your fitness journey, there are affordable options for you.
With this in mind, Nick Drewe, money-saving expert at online discounts platform, WeThrift, shares his expert tips on how to stick to your New Year fitness resolutions while being easy on the spending.
Search for the best deals
To mark the new year, lots of gyms are offering great deals and discounts on their memberships.
Following a quiet Christmas period, gyms have an incentive to make more money in January, so they offer things such as lower monthly fees or no joining costs to welcome new customers.
That said, if you’re looking to get fit this year without blowing your budget, be sure to search online for the best gym deals in your community.
Look out any free trials on offer
From three months for £9.99 at The Gym Group to a £0 joining fee at PureGym, there are so many great deals on offer for people this January.
The Gym Group has gyms in Dundee and Perth, while PureGym has venues in Dundee, Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy.
You can use the code SAVEHALF to get 50% off your first month’s membership and no joining fee at Pure Gym until Monday January 17.
To keep in the loop of all these discounts, be sure to follow gyms around the area on social media, as well as sign up to their newsletters.
Having access to this information will then enable you to make the best decision when it comes to choosing the right membership for yourself.
Read the contract back to front
Gyms can have ways of locking you into a contract, so it’s crucial to take the time to read your contract from start to finish before agreeing to anything.
If you’re uncertain about any part of the contract, flag this with a member of the gym team.
Fortunately, not all gyms out there offer locked contracts – but it’s still important to be 100% aware of the terms and conditions of the deal you are signing up for.
If a gym does have an exit policy, you could try negotiating the terms of this policy before signing up.
Is it right for your fitness goals?
It’s also important to know and ask questions about whether the place is the right place for you and your fitness goals.
For instance, you can ask whether the gym or health club has any special classes you’d like to attend. Or whether it has the accessibility you may need.
You can also find out whether it has the necessary equipment needed for your workout, and whether any online personal trainers are available.
Work out at home
It goes without saying that the cheapest option is to workout at home.
For those looking to buy new exercise equipment, retailers tend to offer some great discounts on workout equipment and exercise clothes during this time of year, meaning you won’t have to break the bank.
It’s also worth noting there are so many personal trainers and fitness instructors on YouTube who do free online classes.
