By David Saunders, Health Editor| UPDATED: 07:42, 12 November 2019
The UK’s obesity crisis continues to worsen, as rates are rising even faster than those of the United States. The country now has the highest rate of obesity of any major nation in Western Europe.
Yet only one in seven adults has a gym membership. As average individual memberships come to more than £486 a year, it’s no surprise that almost half the UK’s adult population (47%) has refused to sign up to one specifically because of the cost.
The key could be in encouraging people to take up regular exercise outdoors or at home. A recent survey revealed that 29% of men and 24% of women would prefer to exercise outside, rather than in a gym.
New research by personal finance provider Moneyboat to team up with several personal trainers and gym managers to create a comprehensive guide for low-cost fitness.
Named the Fitness Financials guide, it both explains how to save money on cooking and meal preparation and includes free workout instructions.
With high-intensity interval training (HIIT) being the biggest popular fitness trend of 2018, the guide’s includes simple exercises that can be adapted to suit different people’s existing fitness levels.
It also explains how to make the workouts even harder – something that online fitness guides often lack.
“Adding some weight such as a backpack full of objects can work up even more of a sweat, as can wearing lots of clothing such as coats,” explains contributor Jon Vare, manager of Kent’s Gym.
With Public Health England recommending that adults do strength exercises at least twice a week as well as 150 minutes of aerobic exercise, but so many unwilling or unable to pay £40 a month to join a gym, advice on how to do it for free is more important than ever.
To read the Fitness Financials guide, visit: https://www.moneyboat.co.uk/blog/fitness-financials-an-infographic/