Staying fit on a budget
Black Friday is just around the corner so let’s face it: we all will be tempted by the delicious looking deals! While this is a great time to grab yourself a new phone, or a high-end hair dryer on discount, this is also the time when many of us will buy stuff we don’t necessarily need. It’s easy to lose track of what we want to invest our money in - the things that really matter to us. So if fitness is one of those things, but you’re on a budget - keep on reading!
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: fitness doesn’t need to break the bank. In fact, the tighter your budget is, the more creative and resourceful you’re likely to get - with your workouts, activewear, and meals! So here are our top tips how to go about staying fit on a budget, StrongHer style!
All the gear and no idea?
You don't NEED the latest outfits to walk through the door of the gym...although let's be honest, we always feel fabulous in a new gym fit and we swear we always feel more motivated to go?! But be savvy and shop around...With so many activewear brands out there - big and small, old and new, there’s options for everyone’s budget. Some of our faves include good old Nike, SweatyBetty, Lazuli Label, Maaree or even that Lulu dupe sold on Amazon!
That being said, we love a good gym staple. It’s a great idea to invest in a high-end pair of leggings and get yourself a sports bra that fits. They will last you ages, improve your workouts and - last but not least - remove the choice paralysis from your day-to-day trying to pick a gym fit! It will take some trial and error to figure out what your staples are, but once you do - you’ll find yourself replacing them over and over again!
Finally, shop pre-loved. Activewear entered mainstream fashion a few years ago and became a staple in people’s wardrobes - even those who don’t exercise. Which means there’s plenty of pre-loved stuff out there! Platforms like Vinted, DePop and Facebook marketplace are ideal for this, and you can find yourself some really good deals. Did you know that our co-founder Sam even found a brand new pair of Metcons for £30 on Vinted recently?!
Speaking of Metcons…you really don’t need them! While training in the right shoe is really important, there are alternatives to those high-end models. Everything we said about activewear applies to shoes too! Heck, Mel’s fave shoe to train in is her bare foot!
Buy in bulk
This one is an obvious one but people often don’t realise it applies to their gym memberships too! Most gyms offer discounts on class packs and memberships if you buy in bulk, or pay in advance. At StrongHer, you can get a 10% off on your class membership if you pay annually! This will not only save you ££ but it’s also likely to help you get to the gym more regularly. Research shows that 1/people who set fitness goals are more likely to achieve them (e.g. go to the gym 3/week for a whole year) and 2/ we tend to continue with an endeavor we’ve invested money in (aka sunk cost fallacy - a fancy name for our tendency to stick to something just because we feel like we’re invested in it in one way or another - think about all those times when you started watching a film, it was mediocre, but you finished it anyway).
Plan & prep those meals!
We all know nutrition is an essential part of fitness, and fortunately there’s a thing or two you could be doing to save some ££ on that front! Meal prep will save you a lot of money (as you’re buying all the ingredients in bulk), time (as you’re cooking once only) and effort (as you won’t have to think about nutrition every day!). Depending on your schedule and lifestyle, meal prepping for 3, 5 or 7 days ahead could do wonders for your bank account. Meal prepping will also help with meal planning - knowing what you’ll be eating and when you’ll be eating it eliminates the need for day-to-day decision making, and will also likely reduce your expenses on little snacks here and there, eating out or ordering takeaway (when you weren’t planning on it).