Do you spend a lot on fitness? Seven people reveal their exercise budget

The latest sportswear, healthy cookbooks, Fitbits, apps and after-work classes – exercise and wellbeing is big business these days. Consumer spending on UK gym membership soared by 44% in 2015 and sales of sportswear grew by by 9.5% in 2014. So how much do you spend staying in shape?

We asked readers about their monthly fitness (including sportswear, health food etc) and weekly exercise spend, calling for people to reveal how much they were willing to pay. We also asked for stories of people who manage to exercise on next to nothing. We received 473 responses. Here are some excerpts from the comments we received, condensed and edited for clarity.

Sian Melonie, 32, from London: ‘I spent more than £1,000 on a juice retreat’

Spend on exercise a week: £37.50
Spend on fitness per month: £25
Hours spent exercising: 15

I have a Classpass which lets me access a variety of fitness classes around London. So with this pass you pay £110 a month and you get access to lots of different fitness sessions – you can attend three a month at each studio and it’s a rolling contract so I set myself a goal of doing 20 to 25 a month. It ends up being better value than wasted gym membership. The most I have ever spent on exercise was more than £1,000 for a week at a juice retreat.

I used to go for cheaper alternatives, such as running and going to cheaper gyms, but it didn’t seem to really work. ClassPass allows me to mix it up and do different exercises to challenge my body. I’ve never struggled with my finances because of the cost of exercise but I have spent a lot in the past.

In terms of other fitness spending I buy good quality food as I prefer to put unprocessed foods in my body. I also spend lots on clothes. Most pressure to be fit comes from my parents – they may not appreciate that but my mum, sister and stepmum all worry about their looks. However, the rise of Instagram and Facebook also adds to this. Knowing that l am doing something about it and getting stronger with each class that l do takes the pressure off me feeling bad about myself – knowing I am working towards a goal makes me feel better about myself. I have lost inches from my waist and I am more focused on toning up than losing weight. I am also much stronger and can do planks, burpees and press-ups.

Kelly, 50, from London: ‘The fact I know I will lose money if I don’t see my personal trainer helps to motivate me’

Spend on exercise a week: £200
Spend on fitness a month: £1,000
Hours spent exercising: eight

I have a personal trainer twice a week , a tennis class once a week and I go to group lessons too. I am also a member of a tennis and golf country club, which is about £200 a month. The combination of playing tennis and going to the gym has been good for my body. I have always been into fitness but recently I’ve got better at doing exercises that specifically help me as a tennis player.

If I could pay less on exercise then that would be great. I guess if I didn’t go to such an expensive club I could save. I could also maybe not have a personal trainer twice a week, but have it once instead. I just find it hard on my own. I always think next month I will do just one personal training session a week, but that never quite happens. Having someone there helps to motivate me and pushes me more. It depends on your personality but, for me, having someone there waiting for me and the fact that I will lose money if I don’t go means I can’t create excuses for not going.I feel fitter and look leaner and that has an impact on how I feel about myself. There’s also the endorphin release aspect that helps as I tend to have slumps in my mood and working out helps with that.

Cearon O’Flynn, 34, from Kent: ‘Cycling to work saves me money in petrol each week’

Spend on exercise a week: £15
Spend on fitness a month: £15
Hours spent exercising: 10

My biggest expense is my bike, it was £800, although through the cycle-to-work scheme I’ve paid for it now. I cycle to work; this keeps me fit and saves me about £20 a week on petrol. I then use that bike to cycle more over the weekend. I love cycling because it keeps me healthy, makes me feel comfortable and allows me to run around with my kids. Exercising saves me money as I don’t have to drive to work. This eases my financial burdens.

Tania, 49, from High Wycombe: ‘I spend a significant portion of my household budget on exercise’

Spend on exercise a week: £50 (minimum)
Spend on fitness a month: £300
Hours spent exercising: 12

I pay for quality exercise classes, as well as doing free stuff such as running. My biggest expense is probably on running shoes, but you can’t compromise on quality – I spend about £120 every six months. Physiotherapy is also expensive and I usually get a few sessions when something goes wrong. I do Taekwondo with an excellent instructor; it costs £55 a month but I can train as often as I like. It’s excellent for the body, mind and soul, and great value for money.

I’ve tried doing classes at my gym, which cost £6 a session, but they are usually packed so I don’t get the same level of attention from the instructors. It’s important to do certain exercises, such as pilates, in small groups so you can make the most out of it. I spend a significant portion of my household budget on exercise but I see it as an investment. I spend the money to be healthy and set a good example to my kids. It’s also a great way to socialise too.

Sam Thompson, 24, from York: ‘It’s very enjoyable to cycle everywhere, and it’s cheap’

Spend on exercise a week: £0
Spend on fitness a month: £0
Hours spent exercising: eight

My biggest exercise expense is probably bike maintenance; I’ll spend on average a few hundred pounds a year on tyres, chains, cassettes, brake pads, new cables, etc. I think I’m about as cheap as it’s possible to be – if I were to spend the same time running, I’d probably get through the same cash on shoes.

Cycling. My bike doesn’t tell me how many calories I’ve burned, but humans have managed for millennia without knowing whether they’ve burnt off that extra slice of cake (though admittedly, we’ve spent millennia without the option of an extra slice of cake). Seeing the English countryside and fresh air is far more enjoyable than labouring in the identikit gym down the road with all the other sweaty people. It’s very enjoyable to cycle everywhere, and it has the positive side-effect that it keeps me healthy.

Not owning a car makes using a bike for everything sound a lot better value. Cycling everywhere costs about half what I’d spend on insurance each year.

Daniel Coleman, 41, from Bracknell: ‘I hired a personal trainer when I was 40 and going through mid-life stuff’

Spend on exercise a week: £5
Spend on fitness a month: £50
Hours spent exercising: five

I generally run to keep fit – I run about 5km every day after work and have a budget gym membership. I have set a little challenge for myself this month to run every day but I used to run three times a week. It’s something I’ve discovered this year and before that I had a personal trainer and cycled to work. I hired a personal trainer when I hit 40; I was going through some mid-life stuff, but after having him for a year I gained the confidence to train on my own.

I got the running bug after doing an obstacle course and have really got into it this year. I like how quick and easy running is, and it doesn’t take up much of my day doing it. I am very motivated by goals, so I set myself the target of running 5km in under 24 minutes this year. I mix cheaper activities (eg running in the woods) and more expensive stuff (eg a personal training session) depending on mood. I don’t spend much else on fitness, except I occasionally treat myself to a brand of top.

Clare Riley, 56, from London: ‘I should probably just cancel my gym membership but I keep it as a safety net’

Spend on exercise a week: £75
Spend on fitness a month: £25
Hours spent exercising: three

I do an hour with a personal trainer a week and two bootcamp classes that I pay extra for. I do them locally in London and they are about £12 to £13 each. I haven’t always been into fitness, but when I reached 50 I concentrated on it more as your metabolism slows down, etc. I do spend a lot compared to some people, but it works for me.

I also have gym membership, which costs me £25 a month. I don’t go to the classes at the gym as much though as the standard of tuition isn’t great. I should probably just cancel my gym membership altogether but I keep it as a safety net and sometimes go to pilates there.

What I spend is fair in terms of the market rate and my trainer is very good. The boot camp also gives me a good level of cardio fitness, so it really does make a difference. As you get older, it gets more important to stay healthy. I don’t want to go into old age not being mobile and getting out of breath easily. I want to stay in shape for as long as possible.

Dan, 44, from Bristol: ‘It’s not always easy to pay for it all, but what bigger priority is there than health?’

Spend on exercise a week: £100
Spend on fitness a month: £400
Hours spent exercising: four

I have a personal trainer and gym membership. I also spend monthly on clothes, healthy food and race entry fees. Surely the reason why people spend so much on exercise is because there isn’t an alternative. Lots of us would spend two hours a day running or cycling if we could, but we are all in offices for most of the day. I mean, for six months of the year it’s dark when you leave work so going to the gym is the easy option. On weekends it’s also hard to find the time to exercise outdoors because I want to spend time with my family. I’d rather spend Saturday morning with my four-year-old than training. It’s not always easy to pay for it all, but what bigger priority is there than health? We all come alive when we make a hard physical effort, it’s in our genes.

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