A 2022 survey by Myprotein revealed that the average UK adult spends approximately £207.64 per month on health and fitness. Whilst there is no specific data for teenagers, a 2019 report by OneFamily, which surveyed 2,000 young people aged 13 to 19, found that the average weekly expenditure was £54 meaning that there is little spare cash for exercise and health-related spending.
28th April 2025
Whether it’s nutritious meals, activewear, gym access, or even transportation to sports and wellness activities, there are real financial considerations involved in healthy living. And the cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated this.
Whilst the path to maintaining good health and wellness in today’s world can feel extremely expensive, Fresh Air Fitness aims to redress this balancing act by providing free to use outdoor exercise equipment in your communities, centred at the heart of the facilities you use on a regular basis.
They are situated in your schools, playgrounds, community centres and outdoor recreational centres. This is particularly important for our teenagers who need somewhere to socialise with their friends and engage in healthy activities, without having to spend any money.
Fresh Air Fitness outdoor gyms provide a range of easy-to-use equipment that can be used by people of all ages, whatever their level of fitness and ability. Each of their outdoor gym installations is carefully designed to provide a full body workout which can be tailored to individual fitness requirements.
What’s more, using the equipment can be combined with other outdoor exercise such as a walk, run or bike ride to complete a full day of outdoor exercise.
We all know that we are what we eat and that healthy eating is one of the biggest pillars of wellness.
This is particularly important during your teen years when your body is growing. Avoiding ultra processed foods, eating the rainbow, getting your 5 a day and/or 30 plants per week is a focus for many as the science backs this up. A varied diet is important for biodiversity in your gut microbiome which is essential for your good health and immune system.
Whole foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains can be perceived as being more expensive than ultra-processed, pre-packaged meals or fast-food options.
However, focusing on single ingredients and making food from scratch, can be a great cost saver. Think cheesy omelette, lentil dhal and rice or a freshly made shakshuka. A well-stocked spice rack can inject a lot of flavour to replace artificial sweeteners and synthetic ingredients.
Get teens actively interested in their own diet and engaged with making their own food as home cooked food is often more affordable, tastier and more nutritious. For example, burgers from the butcher in homemade buns served with a side salad and wedges will come in at a fraction of the price of McDonald’s and will be much healthier and more filling too.
This also sets your teen up with skills for life, saving them money in the long run.
Teens are image conscious and whilst it is possible to work out in almost any clothes, many teens want to feel confident and comfortable while staying active.
This usually means buying specialized activewear brands such as Nike, Adidas, Gymshark, and Lululemon, but their clothes items can cost significantly more than supermarket options.
However, you can combine statement pieces with more utility items to keep the overall costs down.
A branded top can be combined with plain joggers, for example, to get the look whilst saving money. Providing teens with a budget and helping them to plan can help them to put the costs into perspective and their peers can be impressed with thoughtful decision making, rather than just following the trends. Businesses such as Shein or Vinted can also help teens follow the fashions without breaking the bank.
Athletic shoes are essential—not just for fashion, but for safety and performance so we recommend investing in good shoes for your teen. A decent pair of running or training shoes can run anywhere from £60 to over £150, so ensure the fit is checked in store as they are not just a fashion item and need to give the right support. As teens grow, they might need new shoes more often than adults, which is an extra cost to consider.
While some teens stay active through school sports or neighbourhood games, others rely on gym memberships, fitness classes, or personal training sessions to stay fit and to socialise with their peers.
Many commercial gyms offer youth memberships, but prices can range widely—typically from £20 to £60 per month. Some other sports, such as ice skating, Taekwondo, dance, or ballet, for example, charge even more.
Thankfully, there are free or low-cost options, like community centres, outdoor workouts, YouTube fitness videos, or school-based activities.
Get your teen involved in the budgeting for these activities, so that they can incorporate thoughts about the cost and the return on this investment.
They may favour free to use activities when they understand the costs involved. They could set up a peer group that regularly goes to an outdoor gym or factors in an adventurous bike ride or park run rather than paid for activities, saving their money for other things they want or need.
Another hidden cost of staying healthy is transportation, as teens often rely on someone else to get them to sports and social activities.
Petrol costs, wear and tear on the car, and bus or train fares can add up.
Encourage your teen to walk or bike ride whenever possible to keep them fit and reduce dependency on transportation, this encourages independence as well as an active lifestyle.
Look at exercise and entertainment options that are closer to home, and that your teen can get to independently.
Teens today are savvy and appear to be more aware than ever of the importance of staying healthy, both for their physical and mental health.
A survey by The Gym Group found that nearly half of 18–24-year-olds exercise to support their mental health, with many citing stress management and emotional regulation as key reasons.
But as we have seen, healthy living often comes with a cost. From the food they eat to the clothes they wear, the gyms they join, and the ways they get around, staying healthy can be surprisingly expensive.
Accessing free to use exercise equipment saves users money on expensive gym memberships, with no tie ins or additional costs. Encouraging your teen to use free outdoor exercise equipment also gets them out in the fresh air, in nature and soaking up the vitamin D rays from the summer sun.
It is a win-win for mental health, physical wellbeing and the purse strings.
If you would like to find out where to find a Fresh Air Fitness installation is close to your home, please use this online outdoor gym locator tool.
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