How to keep fit for FREE

McDonald's has teamed up with football associations across the UK to put on free football sessions for children aged 5-11 from Saturday 7 September until Saturday 30 November. 

The sessions are taking place at over 1,500 locations and include one-hour coaching each week from FA-qualified coaches.

All you have to do is pre-book online by filling in the form at McDonald's 'Fun Football' and selecting which centre you'd like to attend. There's no requirement to buy anything from McDonald's either, these are totally free sessions.

You can book for up to five children, and it's mainly aimed at those who aren't currently playing, with sessions focussing on basic technique. You need to provide your own suitable footwear and football clothing.

Gym memberships typically cost £180 to £720 a year, but before locking yourself into a costly fee, or if you can't afford it, consider giving free outdoor gyms a try.

There are over 1,000 across the UK, mainly found in local parks or open recreation areas. To find your nearest, check your local council's website, or enter your postcode at two of the biggest outdoor gym providers – The Great Outdoor Gym Company, and Fresh Air Fitness (check it says it's open to the public as some are installed at schools or businesses).

Expect to see around 10 to 20 pieces of equipment per gym with the majority being similar or the same as the equipment you'd find indoors – cross trainers, seated rowers, pull up bars and suchlike. It's worth pointing out these machines don't usually have adjustable weights as they're resistance-based, so if you want to really work on your strength this may not be the most fulfilling workout.

If you enjoy group exercise, and also like to do your bit for the community, consider GoodGym. This non-profit organisation pairs fitness with philanthropy – your workout will benefit local people by doing practical activities such as gardening, moving heavy furniture for an elderly person, picking up litter or sorting cans at a foodbank (you usually run to and from the activity).

Goodgym currently operates in over 60 areas in England and Wales. While it is completely free to join, it's also a registered charity, so you can make donations to help its running costs.

If you find doing 'traditional' exercise boring and repetitive, this could be a good way to shift your focus onto helping others, while still getting in a workout. 

Apps are a super convenient way to access a whole world of different workouts quickly and easily from your phone. There are too many to list them all, but here are a couple of my favourites:

• Strava (on Apple and Android) allows you to track and log your fitness efforts via GPS and stores it in one place. No matter your preferred form of exercise – walking, cycling, running (and over 30 other types of sport) – you can see your progress as well as share with friends. Plus, you can give 'kudos' to others for their workout. 
  
  
• Seven (on Apple and Android) is good if you're pushed for time but still want to fit in some solid exercise. Seven, as the name suggests, provides you with a workout that takes as little as – you guessed it – seven minutes! It's like an at-home circuits class where you'll be doing moves such as squats, crunches, and lunges.

It's totally possible to use the gym without paying a penny. All you need to do is look for gyms that offer free day passes – occasionally, some will even give you up to a week for free to try out the facilities. Our Cheap gyms guide has a full list with extra info, but here are a few of the top picks:

• Anytime Fitness free three-day pass. It has 185 branches across the UK.
• Énergie Fitness free trial session pass. It has about 80 branches across the UK.
• Fitness First free one-day pass. It has about 30 branches across the UK.

Another option is to buddy-up with a friend as some gyms and leisure centres offer paying members free guest passes. Of course, neither of these options will work long-term, but are a good way to figure out if you enjoy going to the gym before committing to a pricey membership.

Home workouts have come into their own since the days of lockdown, especially as there are thousands of totally free workout videos available on YouTube. Some tried and tested favourites include:

• The Body Coach – The Body Coach's efforts to help people stay fit over lockdown, as well as his charity work, earned him an MBE. Otherwise known as Joe Wicks, he's still dedicated to the cause with hundreds of free home workouts available on his YouTube channel. They're typically 20 minutes long and simple to follow. There are chair workouts for those with limited mobility.
  
  
• Yoga with Adriene – This is a popular one with MoneySavers. If you want to slow down and try a more gentle form of exercise, yoga is great for both the body and mind. Head to Adriene's YouTube channel where you can choose from a variety of yoga practices, varying in length and ability level.
  
  
• Emkfit – For the days when you just don't fancy doing the typical exercises of squats or lunges but want to move your body, have a dance! Emily Thorne, known as emkfit on YouTube takes inspiration from HIIT workouts but disguises them as dance moves making for a great way to get sweating and have fun. Some of these are themed on different types of music too – special mention goes to the Taylor Swift dedicated workout.

How about some Netflix and workout? Though not technically free, if you've a Netflix account (plans start from £4.99 a month), there are Nike Training Club workouts you can stream which are led by Nike’s certified trainers. There are a variety of workouts from yoga to HIIT, so this could be a great way to utilise your subscription, getting both entertainment and exercise from one source.

To find them, search 'Nike training club' in the Netflix app on your phone, tablet or smart TV.

Tennis for Free is an organisation that does exactly what it says on the tin – serving up tennis for absolutely nada! Ace. Tennis For Free says almost 20,000 people attended one of its courts last year.

You've two options here – if you just to want to play on a court and have some fun, check the Tennis For Free website to find courts available for recreational use in your local area. There are currently 55 sites across England, Scotland and Wales, with most open from March to November.

Alternatively, if you'd prefer to have some coaching, you can book a free session online for those aged 12+. They're usually an hour to 90 minutes, and include a mix of coaching and open play. All equipment is free and included as part of the session.

Perhaps a no-brainer, but running is a great way to get fit at zero cost. All you need is a good pair of trainers and a bit of willpower. Plus, there are a variety of free ways to keep you motivated when pounding the pavements. 

Free weekly timed 5k

Parkrun is a free, community event where you can walk, jog, run, (or even volunteer or spectate) your way through a 5k every Saturday morning. You just need to sign up once and you’ll be given a barcode to print out and bring with you to the park. Once you've finished the 5k, this is scanned to give you an accurate time. It has 822 locations worldwide (find your nearest) and the community is very friendly – my local Parkrunners like to grab a coffee in the park café post-run. MoneySaver Mandy W says:

Couch to 5k

If you're new to running, Couch to 5k is an app (free to download on Apple and Android) that guides you from being a complete beginner to eventually running a 5k over a nine-week programme. It combines bursts of walking and running, gradually increasing as the weeks go on until you're running non-stop for 30 minutes. 

You don't need to buy a fitness tracker – use free fitness apps on your phone

You don't need to get a fitness tracker or watch if you want to run. The best part about running is that it is totally free, you can go wherever you want and as far as you want. But if you want to track your fitness and you've got a smartphone, chances are it already has a free fitness app installed on it, or that you can download for free. The main ones are Apple Health, Samsung Health and Google Fit. It's worth trying these to track your fitness before committing to buying a fitness watch as although they may not be as sophisticated as a dedicated tracker, they still cover the basics such as step counting, heart rate and calories burnt.