Health & Fitness

At MoneySavingExpert, we often talk about looking after your wallet, but looking after your wellbeing is just as important. While I'm not a doctor or a self-help guru (just a MoneySaving guru), I do have some tips of ways you can relax and look after yourself for free.

Walking has great value – not just to your health, or to the environment, but also monetary value. This is because there's a plethora of free apps (or ones you can use if you have certain health/life insurance plans) that effectively pay you to walk. As one of the big apps is now available to more users, and another has recently worsened its free option, we've updated our analysis.

Getting something totally free is likely to get a true MoneySaver's heart pumping faster than any cardio workout ever could. But, if that's not enough, I've rounded up 20+ ways you can exercise and get fit without spending a penny, both outdoors and at home.

If you're a runner, you probably fall into one of two camps – the 'shoes stack' camp, where you rack up multiple pairs, or the 'run in the same shoes until they disintegrate' camp. Either way, you'll be pleased to know you can trade in your stinky sneakers for £20 off a brand new pair. Not only will you save money, but your old shoes won't end up in landfill.

Fitness trackers and smartwatches have become popular accessories over the last few years – Martin himself uses a tracker to tally his average 25,437 steps a day. These days, they’re a lot more than a posh pedometer, but with increasing features have come increasing price tags – with some costing up to £280.

It’s January, and we’re all surging with good intentions to keep our New Year’s resolutions. If you want to get fit but don’t want to fork out on a pricey gym membership, we’ve rounded up the top 10 online fitness videos and smartphone apps, many of which have been tried and tested by the MSE team. In no particular order:

Going to the gym to get fitter, healthier and in shape is great, but it comes at a price (and we don’t just mean giving up doughnuts). Before locking yourself into a costly gym membership – typically £120-£720 a year – or if you can’t afford it, consider giving free outdoor gyms a try.