Welcome back to Broke in Bristol – the blog that helps you save money, make money and live life to the full on a budget. Today, it’s our fitness special and we’ve got the full lowdown on how to get fit for free – or for as few pounds as possible!
This week I asked Ms Skint Single Mum to road-test five free fitness apps that you can do from the comfort of your own home and we looked into other free fitness ideas, as well as the best priced gym membership in Bristol.
Ms Skint Single Mum juggles trying to keep fit with bringing up two young children. Here, she gives us the lowdown on five of the best free fitness apps…
7 Minute Workout. Simple Design
“This is easy to fit into your day and the workouts are as intensive as you make them. The app was really easy-to-use and I felt totally exhausted afterwards.”
Marks: 4.5 out of 5.
NTC Nike + Training Club
“The website is really well designed and easy-to-use but it did crash a couple of times. I felt knackered after my 40 minute workout, but you can choose to do as little as 10 minutes if you’re a beginner. You get out what you put in.”
Marks: 3 out of 5
Daily Yoga – Get Fit & Relaxed
“I’ve never done yoga before – but I actually quite enjoyed this and I felt well stretched and relaxed after. I think I’ll use the stretches for my post-run cool downs.”
Marks: 4 out of 5
Zumba Dance Workout Fitness
“This app was really fun and I definitely felt good afterwards. However there were no clear instructions and it kept buffering, so for that reason I’d have to mark it down.”
Marks: 3 out of 5
Belly Fat Workout (App And Away Studios)
“This app was harder than I thought it would be and if you do it a few times a week I think it would make a difference. You can choose from various levels, depending on your fitness.”
Marks 4 out of 5
If jumping around in your living room doesn’t quite motivate you, have you thought about signing up to a group like This Mum Runs? Ms Skint Single Mum did this last year and she’s since completed the Bristol 10k, which she says she wouldn’t have been able to do if she didn’t have a running buddy to kick her up the backside!
When I’m going through a fitness phase, I prefer to run on my own or work out to Insanity fast & Furious 20-minute workout DVD (£14.95 from Amazon). If, however, you prefer to exercise with other like-minded folk, maybe it’s worth joining a gym? MoveGB is offering five gym passes for £1, Fitness First is giving away three free lifestyle training sessions over three days and membership at Xercise4Less in Fishponds is just £9.99 a month.
Whichever you choose, download an app like My Fitness Pal to help you keep track of your fitness and nutrition. And if you’re using a mobile device – don’t forget to turn your screensaver off as there’s nowt worse than being interrupted mid exercise!
That’s all our free and cheap fitness tips for this week. It just goes to show that getting fit needn’t cost a fortune! You’ll be beach body ready in no time. We’ll be back later on in the week with our free and cheap things to do in and around Bristol. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page to be the first to know about what’s going on in this wonderful city!
