How to get that ‘summer body’ on a budget…

As with most things in life you have to work hard, have a little patience, and invest some effort into something to achieve your desired results. Exercise is no exception. Everyone has their individual goals, and recently health and fitness has become a hot topic – a summer six pack is a real ambition for some. Social media is overflowing with fitness bloggers who continuously share photos of their perfectly sculpted ‘gym bods’ (to the envy of us all), but not everyone has the time or money to hit up a pricey health club 7 days a week.

Well fear not, your fitness goals are in closer reach than you thought! In fact, they’re so close that you can probably touch them… if you do some lunges across your living room on the way to your staircase. Yes, that’s right, you don’t need a gym membership to get fit. You won’t even need expensive equipment, just a little determination, creativity and ‘get up and go’ will do the trick.

Check out our 5 simple steps to getting fit for less below…

Address your personal goals.

Although exercising is a benefit to your overall health and wellbeing, you may have a specific weight you want to reach, or a body area you’d like to add some definition to. The first step on the road to fitness is to set your goals and work towards them – power through the pain and you’ll see the results you want.

Do your online research.

Knowledge is power, as the old saying goes, so now is the time to stop mindlessly scrolling through Facebook and start utilising the health and fitness education that is available to you on the internet, free of charge! Rather than skipping through that fitness bloggers’ actual blog to stare in jealousy at their progress pictures, take the time to read and interpret their advice.A quick google search will provide you with endless links to pre written workout sets. Some seem easy, some hard and some are pretty confusing, but persevere and you’ll find one that works for you.

Youtube videos will become your best friend. Find a video that you like and you’ve basically got yourself a (virtual) personal trainer at the click of a button, simple!

Get creative.

Fact: some exercises require added weight to increase their benefits. Fiction: you need to buy expensive gym equipment to achieve results. If you’re following an online fitness plan you’re bound to come across a PT suggesting to ‘pick up a kettle bell’ or ‘grab your dumbbells’, here’s your chance to get savvy and make use of the environment. Why not try holding a large bottle of water in each hand to act as your weights? Use a park bench to step up onto rather than buying a gym step, the possibilities are endless.

Plan to perfection.

Pick a time of day that suits your schedule and stick to it. If you only have a spare 30 minutes a day then use it, don’t waste it. Time is precious and you don’t have to work out for hours to see results, just be consistent.

Practice makes perfect.

Another old saying, but this one is important. A ‘do it yourself’ attitude to exercise is great, but some moves are harder than others and it’s important to learn the correct technique so as to avoid injury. Take the time to teach yourself properly and you won’t regret it.

Follow the steps and rejoice as your health and fitness improves. You’ll look and feel great, and so will your bank balance.