5 Tips For Budget-friendly Exercise
With inflation, you might be looking to save money on all your spending areas, including sports and leisure. Even if your budget is a constraint for practicing certain activities, don't give up on physical exercise as it helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, overweight, and even stress... We are going to give you 5 tips for doing sports on the cheap.
Exercise at home.
Do you find gym memberships and fitness club fees too expensive? The solution to save money on your sports budget is to do gymnastic and strength training exercises at home.
Thanks to free apps and content available on Netflix or YouTube, it's now very easy to practice fitness, cardio, Pilates, or general wellness exercises at home.
To implement this first tip for affordable sports, you will still need to invest in a floor mat. This type of mat costs between 10€ to 50€ maximum and can be reused for yoga, for example. If your budget allows, enhance your home fitness equipment with small dumbbells or weights and a resistance band.
Prefer the least expensive sports.
Do you prefer outdoor activities? Good news: many outdoor hobbies are also among the least expensive sports, requiring little equipment.
You just need to equip yourself with appropriate shoes to practice the following activities, alone or with a friend:
• Active walking on all terrains.
• Mountain hiking.
• Running at your own pace.
To further engage your muscles and heart, you can also:
• Invest in walking poles and practice Nordic walking, which is a very comprehensive sport.
• Invest in rollerblades: not only does this equipment wear out very little, but rollerblading also has the advantage of being practiced without wearing any particular sports attire.
Inquire at the town hall.
We don't always think about it, but municipalities of all sizes offer sports activities at reduced prices. Another of the 5 tips for affordable sports is therefore to inquire at the town hall.
Some large cities organize free sports sessions in parks, aimed at seniors, for example. Even if your city doesn't offer anything like this, you can take advantage of municipal facilities, such as a municipal swimming pool or a free football field to train with friends.
Other municipalities have set up fitness trails in public parks. Access to these trails is completely free, and they feature fitness equipment or obstacles to spice up your morning jog with jumping or slaloming…
Go to the pool.
Take the opportunity during your visit to the town hall to inquire about the rates of municipal swimming pools. Even if you don't have the fortune of living by the sea, swimming is one of the least expensive sports.
To engage in this very beneficial activity, all you need is a swimsuit and swim cap and to pay the entry fee (on average €4). If you are a regular swimmer, it is more economical to subscribe to a monthly, quarterly, or annual membership at your local pool.
The rates decrease progressively, and a pool membership is much cheaper than that of a gym. This is another of the 5 tips for affordable sports.
Practice a team sport.
For everyone who wants to combine health and sociability, it's also worth noting that engaging in a team sport generally doesn't cost much. As we previously mentioned, it's easy to organize soccer or basketball games with friends at local public courts.
In the summer, you can take advantage of courts set up on the beaches for volleyball and beach volleyball... It's the perfect pastime for burning a lot of calories while having fun.
As soon as the good weather returns, remember to bring out the badminton and ping-pong rackets: matches with family or friends are a great way to engage in affordable sports!
