The fitness industry has sold you a lie. It said the expensive gym membership would give you beautifully toned abdominals. It told you your metabolic woes could be solved by taking a little green pill each morning. It even promised to meet your body\u2019s daily nutritional needs with a convenient bottle of Orwellian sludge \u2026 all at a price.<\/p>\n
The Guardian\u2019s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.\u00a0Learn more<\/a>.<\/p>\n The reality is that getting fit is alarmingly simple: move more, be consistent and repeat. Here are the tips and affordable kit that have helped real people \u2013 our readers \u2013 get fitter, including everything from a trampoline to a dog.<\/p>\n Easy fitness tips and tricksAdjustable weights<\/p>\n I stay active by doing yoga and pilates at home. I wanted to incorporate resistance training to build muscle, too, but I live in a small flat and don\u2019t have room for racks of dumbbells. So I bought an adjustable set instead. They\u2019re stored on the bookshelf in my home office when I\u2019m not using them. TJ<\/p>\n Corength 20kg dumbbell kit<\/p>\n \u00a339.99 at Decathlon<\/a>\u00a342.98 at Debenhams<\/a><\/p>\n NordicTrack 25kg Select-A-Weight adjustable dumbbell set<\/p>\n \u00a3349 at John Lewis<\/a>\u00a3349 at Boots<\/a>Easy-sip water bottle<\/p>\n I found that having a CamelBak water bottle with a bite valve and straw has really improved my water intake. Not having to remove a cap or even tip the bottle made taking regular sips an almost unconscious action, massively boosting my hydration. Nick<\/p>\n CamelBak Eddy water bottle, 750ml<\/p>\n \u00a320 at Argos<\/a>\u00a315.05 at Amazon<\/a>Rebounder<\/p>\n Aching joints and persistent plantar fasciitis have forced me to hang up my running shoes. Instead, I\u2019ve dusted off my cheap folding rebounder \u2013 a mini trampoline \u2013 and I\u2019m loving it. I pop it in front of the TV and run on the spot to 180bpm tunes. Sometimes, I even put a virtual run video on YouTube (Singapore, NY, Tasmania \u2013 take your pick). If I want to dial up the intensity, I add weights on my ankles and wrists. It definitely gets the heart racing. Not sure I\u2019ll ever go back to running. It\u2019s saving me a fortune on expensive trainers. Jo S<\/p>\n Domyos Fit Trampo 100 cardio fitness trampoline<\/p>\n \u00a334.99 at Decathlon<\/a>\u00a339.99 at Asda<\/a><\/p>\n Domyos 2kg adjustable wrist\/ankle weights, pack of two<\/p>\n \u00a319.99 at Decathlon<\/a>\u00a322.98 at Debenhams<\/a>Running club<\/p>\n The best money I\u2019ve ever spent on fitness is joining my local running club. The annual membership gets me weekly coached sessions, weights\/core sessions during winter months, trail-running groups, monthly races against other local running clubs and lots more. It\u2019s also been invaluable for making new friends and connections in the area. Since joining, I\u2019ve run my first half-marathon in seven years and knocked five minutes off my 5k PB. Not bad for \u00a345 a year. Andy Carne<\/p>\n Running shoes<\/p>\n I recently completed the Couch to 5k running programme. Investing in a pair of good trainers that suited my personal running form gave me the motivation to keep going. As it turns out, trainers are technical things, and it\u2019s not a one-style-suits-all approach. Who knew! I took a free gait assessment at a local running shop, and they recommended a shoe style for my natural forefoot strike (the Saucony Guide 18). The difference in comfort is incredible. Rachel<\/p>\n Saucony Guide 18 trainers<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian\u2019s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n From \u00a387 at Saucony<\/a>\u00a3129.50 at M&S<\/a>A dog Photograph: Janie Airey\/Getty Images\/Image Source<\/p>\n I was 68 and diagnosed with severe emphysema when I adopted my dog. Getting up the stairs was hard enough. I had to stop and catch my breath to stop feeling dizzy. Four years on, and I\u2019m walking about 90 to 100 miles a month; my emphysema is now classed as mild. Overall, I\u2019m fitter than I was 15 years ago. She\u2019s been my personal trainer and my beautiful companion. Dave Garroch<\/p>\n Calorie-tracking app<\/p>\n Many people don\u2019t understand how many calories are in a handful of nuts or a few biscuits. Understanding how much energy is in common foods can be quite an eye-opener for people.<\/p>\n My younger brother, who\u2019s not a fitness person at all, started using an app to see how many calories are in the foods he eats and was horrified to learn how quickly he hits his daily sugar allowance by having a chocolate bar and a can of Coke. Matt Kollat<\/p>\n MyFitnessPal app<\/p>\n Free (or premium for \u00a319.99\/mth) at MyFitnessPal<\/a>Bodyweight exercises<\/p>\n I do pilates and calisthenics at home. Bodyweight workouts allow you to do so much with so little. I use kitchen worktops for dips and a set of basic wooden bars that cost about \u00a330 to do all my pressing movements, such as push-ups. Pretty low cost and highly effective. I ride a bike for cardio, too. Graeme Gaughan<\/p>\n Wooden parallettes bars<\/p>\n \u00a326.99 at Amazon<\/a>ParkrunParkun at Coldham\u2019s Common, Cambridge. Photograph: Joshua Bright\/The Guardian<\/p>\n As a new runner, I found parkrun<\/a> made me accountable. It makes you get up and actually go. I think when you have to be there on a certain date and time, you\u2019re less inclined to just sack it off. I can go at my own pace, and it\u2019s busy with runners of all abilities, so I don\u2019t feel self-conscious about how fast I\u2019m going or what I\u2019m wearing. I find I go faster in a group too, so it helps me to improve from week to week. Katie Crosby<\/p>\n Hi-vis belt<\/p>\n I\u2019ve always liked the idea of commuting to and from work, but I found riding a bike in the city intimidating. I got a hi-vis belt for next to nothing, and it has boosted my confidence. I now ride to the office every day, and I\u2019ve lost weight doing so. It just goes over whatever you\u2019re wearing and folds up small enough to fit into a backpack pocket when not in use. Sarah<\/p>\n Proviz Flexi viz cycling\/running belt<\/p>\n \u00a314.99 at Proviz<\/a>\u00a316.50 at Decathlon<\/a>Always walk<\/p>\n The biggest shift in my fitness came when I changed my mentality around movement. I decided to never take the easy option. If it\u2019s a choice between escalators and stairs, I\u2019ll take the stairs. Toss up between hopping in the car and a 30-minute walk? I\u2019m walking. I\u2019ve applied this to everything I do, and it has worked wonders. I also make sure to do at least 10,000 steps every day, non-negotiable. If I haven\u2019t hit it by the time I\u2019m home from work, I get out and make up the numbers! So simple, but so effective for keeping the weight off, not to mention better for the planet. Christoph<\/p>\n