A few years ago I discovered a blog by a personal trainer that championed the idea of free fitness and health.
She believes that health is so vital that no exclusivity should be encouraged. I’m not sure if I completely agree, but her idea led me to start searching for free information sources for great workouts and healthy eating inspiration.
I began with the Couchto5k program in 2005, and I haven’t looked back since.
Online resources can really help with weight loss, getting strong, or even just provide the necessary motivation.
Online Free Fitness & Health Gems
#1 – Pinterest
I adore Pinterest for reasons too numerous to count. The platform is so quiet yet busy, and you control what you see fairly easily. I keep all kinds of visual lists on the platform, and I consider it one of the best resources for healthy recipe ideas. You can search by a specific dietary type, a specific type of food, or even general topics like “healthy food ideas.” The result will be tons of options that you can scroll through and choose options to try. Plus, everything you pin is stored online and is easily accessible via computer or phone. For years now I have found great recipes, many of which are pinned on this board, but I also keep a board of just healthy food ideas here. Pinterest has inspiration for meal prep, health and fitness challenges as well as nutritional information. It’s a great place to go when you have no idea what to eat or how to exercise because there are tons of options to explore.
#2 – Bender Fitness
One of the BEST fitness resources I found many years ago was BenderFitness.com. Melissa Bender is a certified trainer that believes you shouldn’t spend tons on fitness, in fact, she believes fitness should be free. In that vein, she has shared over 800 free workouts via her blog and Youtube Channel. You can go through the workout alongside Bender on Youtube, or just follow the workout breakdown on the accompanying blog post. Bender shares her healthy eating philosophy via her blog, and a few tips about keeping meal prep simple while enjoying variety. The Bender Fitness blog also houses 30-day challenges, 12-week fitness programs, and even Weekly workout schedules. It’s a fantastic free online resource that I return to every single year.
#3 – Youtube
I would be quite remiss if I did not mention the wealth of free information Youtube provides. Depending on your chosen diet, Youtube houses recipes, nutrition information, and as well as practical tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Plus, tons of options for free full-length workout videos to follow based on your needs. I personally really enjoy BenderFitness, FitnessBlender, and YogaWithAdriene for effective yet quick workouts. You can even lookup a single weight lifting maneuver, get warm-up advice, or find a community of people with your same goals to learn from.
4 – TDEE Calculator
When I decided to lose weight, I immediately turned to TDEE calculator.net. A free online resource you can use to calculate how many calories needed to maintain your weight, gain weight, or for weight loss. Truly, simply tracking the appropriate calorie intake is almost a completely sure bet for weight loss. Fitness definitely should be coupled with healthy eating, but it is very possible to lose weight by just cutting calories. Food intake is a considerable part of living a healthy lifestyle, so understanding how calories in effect your overall health is very important.
#5 – MyFitnessPal
Speaking of calorie counting, MyFitnessPal is a free online resource to help track calories. The app houses a database of different foods with serving size and calorie count available for use. A daily food tracker allows the user to see just how many calories they are taking in, how exercise affects those calories, and helps track stats along the way. If you prefer working in teams, the app allows you to follow and share your daily tracking with whomever you choose. The app celebrates milestones and gives information about staying on track with your daily calorie goals. MyFitnessPal is especially good for tracking macros as the app allows you to set your own macros and shares graphs with percentages and specific grams for daily food intake.
#6 – Instagram
Last, but certainly not least is Instagram. Instagram houses so very many wonderful options searchable by looking at any hashtag. Want to search for Vegan Breakfast ideas? Search #veganbreakfast. Looking for a good Instant Post recipe? Search #instantpotrecipes. Plus, you can look at the comments of any photo or recipe for instant feedback. Want to know how much sauce a person used? Send a DM or write a comment below the photo. Instagram is a great International resource for health and fitness success.
If you are new to healthy living, I do recommend you begin with your doctor. You need to know how strong your body is, and whether you are perfectly healthy before beginning any exercise or dietary changes. Any shock to the system can have a negative consequence, so be safe and get a checkup first. Once you are ready, these free online resources will be waiting for you.
Disclaimer: Always consult with a doctor before embarking on any new fitness program or any significant dietary change.
Please share some of your favorite free online resources in the comments below!
These are good resources. I am currently using the MyPlate App from Livestrong. It has made me accountable with exercising, keep up with water intake and reduced my ‘mindless’ eating.
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I’ll have to look at MyPlate. Thx for sharing!
Hiya. I count your blog as one of my favorite online resources as well.?. Of the things you mentioned I have tried tdee calculator, fitnessblender, yoga with Adrienne and my all time fav is MyFitnessPal. My diet is heavily Nigerian and I love love that it has a rich Nigerian list and even if it doesn’t I can create my recipe and track that way. I have also found Facebook groups to be helpful like when I was trying to track macros via iifym but now I am all about intermittent fasting and joined a group for that. Now Nigerians eat a lot of animal protein, like you I would like to reduce that while finding other high protein substitutes so I am here to check out some of the things you did with tofu etc Take care
Yes YouTube and Instagram are my go-to’s for food and workout inspiration. I find that for me the tracking, counting, and weighing of food just makes me bitter; it doesn’t work for me. I like to eat whatever I want (in moderation of course) whenever I want. Some people have the metabolism where they can do that and still look good, I don’t. I hit the gym at least 5xs a week it’s just something I love to do. Eating whatever I want and hitting the gym as much as I do has gotten me where I want to be. Mind you I tend to eat healthier more often than not and these free resources online has been a huge help. I think these are great ideas; not many people have the funds to join gyms or obtain a personal trainer. One can do amazing things with dedication and motivation. I’ve seen amazing transformations from individuals using these resources. I think it’s great