too skint to get fit?

by Lou Stewart

too skint to get fit? | facilities for free | everyday tips - you won't even know you're exercising | help and info

facilities for free – try your local ones

Remember when all you needed was a tennis ball, a piece of concrete, some chalk and a few mates to have an hour of fun and competitiveness? Well exercise can still come just as cheap. You pay your council taxes, so why not find out where it goes? Local authorities all provide some form of free health and fitness facilities and, while charges vary between councils, many centres have 'open-days' when you can use facilities for free or at the most a pittance. Phone your local authority or have a look at their website. There are also a number of free basketball, five-a-side and tennis courts around. Leading a resurgence of a different kind is author/comedian/all-round-good-guy Tony Hawkes, whose campaign to produce a world-class British tennis champion begins with bringing the sport back to grass roots and making it free to play. Check out his campaign website at TennisForFree to sign the e-petition and find out where your nearest free courts are.

If you're not into ball sports, then make your way to your nearest park. Run around, kick a footy, skip rope, fling a frisbee – this flimsy piece of plastic is much better value than a pricey session with a Swiss Ball – and before you can say, 'Mind that greenhouse' you'll have increased your heart rate and be on your way to fitness and a fine physique.

home alone – stay put if you must

With the exception of blizzards and raging gales, nobody can really blame the British weather for lack of exercise. But even if you do stay indoors, there's still plenty to do, even without telly. There are dozens of health and fitness magazines on the market and even more books written about getting fit. Buy or borrow one, clear a space and flick to the exercise pages. From 'How to get beat the booze bulge' to 'Exercising in pregnancy', you'll find a fitness regime right there on paper, with diagrams to ensure you don't twist yourself into knots. Choose exercises which don't require any equipment – a chair can be used for balance, a ball for resistance or a step for stepping. If small weights are required, open your kitchen cupboard and pull down a can of baked beans or something heavier for each hand. Again, try the multitude of fitness sites available for free online. Particularly good is The Fit Map's online personal trainer, where you can click on a body part and watch a video of a number of exercises to tone, trim or bulk it.