Sam Wood’s top tips for staying fit and healthy on a budget

Don’t let the cost-of-living crunch affect your health. Fitness expert Sam Wood reveals how you can keep fit and healthy without breaking the bank.

It’s evident Australians are feeling the pinch at the moment with living costs rising. For many, it means reducing those ‘nice-to-have’ expenses and trimming down any fat they can. What I am hearing amongst my 28 by Sam Wood community is that health and fitness is something they don’t want to cut out. When it comes to our health it is so important that we see it as an investment, not an expense, and we need that investment not just in our physical health but also our mental health.

There are many ways to keep fit and healthy without having to pour thousands of dollars a year into it. Here are my top tips to help you move and eat well while getting the best bang for your buck.

Top tips for staying fit on a budget

Let’s kick things off with ways you can keep fit that don’t cost a fortune.

Pick up an active hobby

I know it may sound boring, but start walking or running and use these free exercises as another way to socialise. Not only are you saving on eating out but you’re establishing a routine, catching up with friends, and potentially setting a new goal. That could be walking 10,000 steps a day or running 5km. There are so many other sports you can consider too that don’t need equipment such as swimming, hiking, dancing and more.

Work out from home

Training from home saves time and money. It is convenient and can get great results. For those who love guided workouts, I encourage you to look at online fitness programs that have an array of exercises that you can do with no, to little equipment, offer community support and provide guided meal plans.

I call 28 the personal trainer in your pocket for this very reason. You get a variety of workouts, expert trainers in real time helping you with your sets, reps and technique and the support, motivation and accountability of a like-minded community.

Build a gym at home

For those wanting to create their own at-home workouts, you can easily build a gym on a budget. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Resistance bands: These are gold nuggets for so many variations of exercises, with maximum impact.
• Adjustable dumbbells: As you build strength you can add weight without buying a new set of dumbbells.
• A seat for tricep dips, box jumps and more.
• Skipping rope for that cardio hiit.
• A mat: This will set your space up not only mentally but also allow an even ground for body exercises.

Top tips for eating healthy on a budget

Here are my top tips for eating healthy without breaking the bank.

Eat seasonal

Keep an eye out on what fruit and vegetables are in season. This will mean they’re not only a great price but full of flavour as they’re at their peak.

Shop specials

Look at what is on sale before you head into the supermarket and plan your meals based on what meat and veg is on special.

Buy in bulk

If you can afford it and you have the space, buying in bulk can be much cheaper than buying single servings. Having bulk essentials makes it more likely that you’ll eat at home and you’ll have more opportunities to base your meals on simple, real foods.

Buy frozen

Frozen foods are the secret ingredient to keeping healthy with a much better price tag. Frozen foods also mean you’re less likely to waste your food.

Write a shopping list

By planning what you’re going to make for the week ahead and writing a list down it means you’re probably less likely to add in non-essential items that aren’t on your list (as tempting as they may be!).

Don’t get sucked in by the glamorous labels

Home brand foods tend to have the same ingredients as all the other brand competitors, without the hefty margins on them.

These simple tips will help you save well over the cost of your weekly fitness membership so you can continue to invest in a healthy you.

→ Related: How to save money on groceries