Times are tough at the moment due to a particular pandemic that doesn’t seem to be going away. If you’ve been trying to exercise during the COVID-19 health crisis and found it challenging, you’re not alone. Aside from a lack of motivation due to lockdown fatigue, you may also experience a drop in your income.

With less money, it can be hard to invest in the tools and equipment that you require to get your pump on. Yes, that’s the case, even when a gym membership isn’t available. Thankfully, there are ways to afford your routine so that your hard work doesn’t go to waste.

You should try as hard as you can to invest in your results because the victories, big and small, keep you going. Recognising their importance early on is complicated because they aren’t always apparent. However, the more you invest in your wellbeing, the more you’ll see their effect.

It’s not straightforward, yet it is doable. Here’s how to count your pennies and maintain your motivation to pump iron and burn calories when you’re hard up.

Exercise At Home

Working out from the comfort of your living home is the perfect way to maintain your fitness. At home, there is nobody around to judge your form or whether you’re working hard enough. Also, you don’t care how you look. You’re at home, which means you can wear a tank top and 80s football shorts if you prefer!

However, home-based routines do involve paying for specialist equipment in some cases. For instance, only a stationary bike will suffice if you’re a dedicated cyclist who likes to hit the roads twice a week. The good news is that you can shop around for a bargain if you don’t want to switch up disciplines. Depending on where you look and how patient you are, you can find fantastic deals.

Alternatively, you can find a different exercise that’s more affordable. Yoga is incredibly powerful, and it is suitable for men, so leave your preconceptions at the door! To get started, you need a mat, YouTube videos, and a positive attitude. Here’s a fitness video we made as a family for a recent Fitbit campaign.

The trick is to make your home-based regime fit your specifications. Also, it should be fun if you’re going to perform it several times per week.

Dress To Impress

Exercise outfits are similar to clothes for job interviews – you want to make an excellent first impression. Only in this instance, it’s you that you’re attempting to convince. Often, your reflection in a mirror is enough to lower your motivation levels because you don’t look “right.”

Instead of delving into the topic that is your self-confidence, you can bypass a tricky subject by improving your wardrobe. When you like the reflection that stares back at you, you’ll find leaving the house to go for a jog or to cycle a lot more straightforward.

Lots of people are using netvouchercodes.co.uk to dress to impress during the lockdown. With money being tight, the penny is dropping that coupons and tokens are underrated means to reduce the price of branded workout gear. With the right code, you can slash as much as 50% off Nike apparel and improve your self-esteem in the process.

Aside from looking the part, you must be comfortable so that you avoid injuries and exercise more often. A tip: splash out where possible. Investing in pricier items in the short-term will save you money and enhance your fitness in the long-term. This is because top brands put comfort and long-lasting equipment first.

Don’t Pay For Classes

Home workout classes have never been as popular as they are currently. To be fair, life would be boring if you had to stay at home all day with nothing to do! Technology means that you can participate in exercise classes virtually, which is perfect for self-isolation.

Still, a lot of apps are asking for money. It’s their prerogative as they are businesses and require payment to stay afloat during a challenging time for companies around the world. However, it’s worth pointing out that the majority of them run a “basic” and “premium” service. As you would imagine, apps charge for the latter, yet the former is free.

For anybody who thinks the classes aren’t worth it or that they aren’t to the same quality, this isn’t the case. FiiT is an application that offers dozens of free sessions that may take you weeks to get through. Menshealth.com has a fantastic list of free workout apps if you need a change-up.

Alternatively, you can sign-up for a free trial and use the premium service. To do this, you must remember to opt-out of the automatic renewal, or else it will charge you for the month.

Cut Back On Expenses

If there’s a silver lining to the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s the fact that expenses are at an all-time low. With no need to leave the house, you won’t need as much disposable income to pay for nights out, restaurant meals, and cinema tickets.

Money may be tight, but you’ve got more options regarding what you spend it on. After all, if lockdown has taught society anything, it’s how many of our “essentials” aren’t very essential. By doing this, you can free up resources for products and services – workout gear – that will make a difference in your life. When you exercise, your mental and physical health receives a boost, and this makes you more likely to get through quarantine unscathed.

What are the features you’re paying for that you can drop? A Netflix subscription could be high on the list. It’s not that Netflix isn’t helpful, more that you can share an account between a family and cut the costs. Use these chroniclelive.co.uk tips to reduce them further. The same goes for Spotify. Plus, music streaming services have free versions, so there’s no need to spend £9.99 a month.

What expenses did you assume were integral to your lifestyle that you now know you can live without?