When you’re a student, it’s likely that your budget is tight. With paying rent, buying textbooks, doing food shops, and socialising, you may not have a huge amount of money left over. Now, there is this common misconception that, when it comes to fitness, you have to join an expensive gym, invest in a multitude of supplements and get all the gear. But, in reality, the only tool you really need to make progress is discipline. Saying that, fitness may be something that you do want to invest in. You might find that you workout better at a gym that happens to be more expensive, for example. If that’s the case, it’s important to budget when it comes to other areas of your fitness journey, like food shopping. No matter where you stand financially when it comes to fitness, budgeting when you can as a student is always resourceful. Here are a few tips that can help you utilise your student budget when it comes to fitness…
STUDENT DISCOUNTS
This is a biggie. So many brands offer student discounts! So, make sure you register with student apps, such as Unidays or Student Beans, to make the most of student benefits. You’ll find that brands, like Gymshark and MyProtein, offer student discount codes. From brands like these, not only can you buy discounted gym clothing, but you can also purchase gym equipment, such as lifting belts, knee sleeves, wrist straps, or supplements, like pre-workout, creatine, or vitamins. None of these items are essential to make progression. But, if you are someone who likes to invest into your fitness journey, utilise the brands that offer student discounts! Some gyms, such as JD Gyms, for example, also offer student discounts. Joining your university gym may be cheaper than a commercial or independent gym too, so it’s worth looking into.
One Coaching also sometimes offers student deals, with our most recent student plan being only £40 a month – that’s cheaper than two coffees a week. So make sure to keep an eye out on our socials, or subscribe to our newsletter to keep in the loop. Not only that, but within our regular coaching plans, we offer a range of discounts to clients, such as discounted massages and discount codes for food orders.
MEAL PLAN AND PREP
When it comes to fitness, diet plays a huge part. Therefore, it’s vital that you are fuelling yourself with nutritious meals… and it doesn’t have to burn a hole in your wallet. Actually, eating healthier comes at less of a cost. And, if you plan and prep your meals, it can be even cheaper. Prepping meals also stops you from spending a lot of money on takeaways or meals out.
Start by writing a shopping list. This is such a simple antidote to saving money. If you plan what meals you are going to have throughout the week, and you write a shopping list, you will only buy what you need. This means that you won’t be tempted to add more food than you need to your basket and no food or money will be wasted.
Try to consider what kinds of food you’re buying too. For example, frozen vegetables will be cheaper than fresh veg. Buying meat in bulk and freezing some of it could also be cheaper. As well as this, take into account where you shop and utilise the offers available. Maybe shop at Aldi instead of Asda, for example. Or, if you shop at Tesco, get a clubcard.
JOIN SOCIETIES OR SPORTS CLUBS
Joining societies or sports clubs is a great way to keep fit and incorporate exercise into your routine on a student budget. Not only are they a great part of the university experience and a space where you can socialise, but you’ll be able to take part in weekly training sessions, play matches and even use the sports facilities for free.
If you’re struggling to see progression within your fitness journey, or you struggle to maintain a balanced lifestyle whilst at university, don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our coaches. Here, at One Coaching, we have a range of experience in committing to balancing fitness with other parts of life, like university, so we know first hand how best to deal with it. Book a call with one of our coaches today.
