Being active and budget conscious

Some families find that money can be a barrier to being physically active. Emily chats to us about being active on a budget and how you can overcome this barrier.

As a working mum and generally frugal person, I am always keen to find ways to be active in a fun way for less. There can sometimes be a perception that being active is unaffordable. I want to talk about how finances don’t have to get in your way to being active. I thought I would share some of my low, to no-cost active choices.

Now I can state the obvious ones first, such as walking and running. These are options free and come with many health benefits. Walking and running can also include organised events like Health Walks and ParkRuns and are a go-to for many of us. I prefer to walk than run and find real pleasure in finding a new walk, as well as completing a favored path. My children don’t love the idea of a walk. However, if I combine the walk with a picnic or under the guise of a treasure hunt (sticks and pine cones) they soon get in the spirit. I have also completed the Couch to 5 K more than once, I change the coach voice and off I go.

Another go-to of mine is the many online free workouts, for all different abilities. At times, we do Yoga and as a family or I can shut the doors and do Zumba, that way I can be as bad at the moves as I like.  The thing I like most is that I don’t need to find child care whilst I get active. I can also change my activity whenever I get bored (which doesn’t take long).

Our family enjoys spending time outdoors, so we often visit the park. I like to try out the green gyms whilst the children play on the swings. I have seen more table tennis tables introduced in the parks, so why not take a paddle and ping pong ball and start a game. Many parks have Football and Basketball courts, if you don’t have a ball why not ask to join someone’s game.

Our big lay out this year was for tennis. We bought 4 racquets, tennis balls and a year’s membership to our local courts, at a cost of £30. As a family, we have worked out that in 12 months of usage, this has cost us around £2.60 per session for the whole family. So that’s a tick in my book for a low cost.

Whatever your budget or inclination for activity, there is a lot of choice and opportunity. If you need help finding an activity why not look at Getactive.io and see what’s on offer in your community.

Please note with the current COVID-19 situation, some of these activities may not be possible due to social distancing guidelines. Please always follow the guidelines when taking part in any physical activity.