Get fit,
healthy and beautiful on a budget
We love a
bargain. Scoring one is right up there with stumbling on a Ryan Gosling blog,
giving us a cheap thrill. To help you get the best heath, fitness, beauty and
nutrition deals, we’ve come up with a load of clever cost-trimming tricks, like
how to whip up a healthy five-star meal for less than R100, get a professional
haircut for peanuts, or slice your gym membership fee in half (without having
to put the moves on your trainer). It’s all yours for taking…
Ways to save… at the gym
Fitness –
whip your butt into serious shape – without wrecking your bottom line
Train in
twos
Personal-training
sessions can get you back anywhere from R250 to R700 (or more) per session,
depending on the gym. But signing up with a friend to share a trainer can slash
the cost by more than 50 percent. Plus, you’ll be extra motivated to pump out those
last few biceps-curls when you see your friend powering through them next to
you.
Free
no-string trials
Stock up on
free weekly passes from different gyms and switch your workout location each
week. A month’s worth of free workouts can save you up to R1000. You’ll
eventually have to commit, but this buys you time to try out each gym and make
a smart choice.
Cut the
fat
Some
facilities offer a one-price-for-all structure. For example, your monthly fee
includes the use of the gym, locker rooms and group fitness classes reminds you
of Eighties synchronized aerobics and you’d rather not to go there, you
shouldn’t pay for something you aren’t going to use. Explain this when
discussing the membership fee and see if you can strike a better deal.
Cram in
the crunches
Spy on a
trainer giving a session at any gym and you’re bound to see plenty of chatting
and ample water breaks. Not on your watch (or wallet)? Ask your gym if they
book 30-minute training sessions. Not only do mini workouts cut the price in
half; they’re also more efficient. Leaving no time to rest keeps your heart
rate elevated, so you burn more kilojoules. (Think of it as free cardio).
Be
honest about your budget
Like
scoring a good body, scoring a good deal takes legwork. Let’s say you’ve found
the gym for you – it has everything you need, where you need it. The only
problem is the fee. You should sit down and explain your situation. Gyms want
to gain new members, so speak up – they may have financial assistance.
Sweat in
style
Our top
picks for the best workout gear under R500
The
shoe buy
New balance
women’s 470 (R499, Sportsmans Warehouse)
Ideal for
the treadmill junkie
Saving tip:
Buy past-season models of your fave trainers. As new stock
comes in, so stores rush to clear out old ranges – they’re essentially the same
shoe, but much cheaper.
The
bra buy
Maxed high
impact bra (R159, Mr Price Sports)
Perfect for
running and field sports
Saving tip:
Rotate your bras and wash them regularly so you can get at least a year’s use
out of each one.
The best burn for your buck
At first
glance it doesn’t look like much: just a rope and two handles. But this
school-ground fave (R40, Sportsmans Warehouse) “is probably the best all-round
piece of exercise equipment you can own,” says Nicolas Caracandas, personal
trainer at One80 gym in Cape Town. “Skipping has added resistance, which burns
more kilojoules, and added benefits when toning and shaping muscles”. In fact,
according to the Compendium of Physical Activities (which classifies activities
according to the rate of energy you expend doing them), skipping for 10 minutes
at a moderate pace can burn as many kilojoules as running one kilometre at a
four minute per kilometre pace (the average active woman runs a six- to eight-
minute kilometre). Here’s a fat-blasting routine worth your buck:
The
technique:
Stand with
your feet hip-width apart, with your weight on the balls of your feet and your
knees slightly bent. Jump up from the balls of your feet, pointing your toes
downward as you lift off (to minimize impact yet still promote bone strength,
jump only a centimetre off the floor). Do 10 sets of 10 jumps, increasing the
number of jump until you can do 100 jumps non-stop. Once you’ve mastered that,
build up to 500 non-stop jumps and then move on to this five-move circuit:
The
plan:
1. Basic bounce + alternate step
Warm up with a combination of the basic bounce
and the alternate step (jump with one foot on one turn of the other foot for
the second, as it jogging in place). Jump for one minute, alternating between
the two every four jumps.
2. Forward + backward line hops
Place the rope in a straight line on the floor
in front of you. Jump forward, landing softly on your toes with the rope behind
you immediately jump back to start. Continue for one minute.
3. Body-weight squats
Fold the rope in half and hold it taut above
your head, as you would a body bar. Squat down and up for one minute, keeping
your arms and core engaged.
4. High knee lifts
Do the alternate step, but as you lift each
foot, bend your knee and raise it towards your chest while maintaining your
skipping pace. Continue alternating for one minute.
5. Alternate-step sprint
Finish strong with one minute of the alternate
step: jump as fast as you can without breaking form.
