Like most of us, students will also over-indulge at Christmas. The end of the year is a time of too much alcohol, too much food and too little activity. But students are on a budget and generally cannot afford gym fees. There are cheaper ways of getting fit, especially in the cold and wet month of January.
Fitness DVDs
As exercise doesn’t change all that much, you don’t need to buy the latest DVD by the celebrity who is the present flavour of the moment. Charity shops and pound shops will be full of old DVDs. Although they may have dated in terms of their production value, they are still effective. Nothing beats a warm, cosy room for private and comfortable exercise routines. Buy a selection to avoid boredom and rotate through the week.
Free Fitness Apps
Unless you are so poor you can’t afford (or have chosen to forego) a mobile phone, you can get fit for free. Apps such as Sworkit have revolutionised fitness with tailored workout routines and hundreds of exercises. This is advantageous over DVDs as you won’t get bored and can mix up your exercise to what works for you. If you have a Samsung, the S-Health app has many different types of exercise so you can track your progress.
Walk… Everywhere
Unless you live so far from campus that you’d have to set off at 5 am to make a 10 am lecture, walking to campus, around campus and back again, into town and anywhere else in under a two-mile radius is good for your health and will help you to get fit. It will also save you money on petrol and bus fares. If you must get public transport, then aim to get off a stop or two earlier. Again, this will reduce the cost and increase your fitness.
Exercise Socially
By this, we mean going to the beach to play Frisbee or having a kick about at the local park. Exercise is better in groups and you be having so much fun you won’t even notice that it is exercise. It’s amazing how much exercise a group of people can get when all they have is a ball. You could also join a university walking group – these are inexpensive and they will help you discover the local area where you now live.
University Sports Societies
The great thing about competitive sports at university is that you don’t have to take part in the “competitive” part. Each club has far more than will be able to compete. You can simply turn up for training and use it as a fitness routine while making new friends. University sports clubs are inexpensive and certainly cheaper than a council run or private gym.