Sports play a central role in everyday life. Indeed, physical activities are essential to your health. They keep the blood pumping through the heart and help your body to maintain its numerous functions. Additionally, practicing an exercise encourages the release of happiness hormones by the brain – which makes people who stay fit less likely to struggle with depressive disorders.

In a social environment, sports can help you to create a sense of belonging; you’re one of the team. It is integral to the social development of children, as kids who play team sports have better interaction skills and social understanding of each other.

But despite countless advantages for the body, the mind and the overall community, sports often remain a costly privilege. Here are some helpful tips to make expensive activities more affordable.  

Are you spending too much on sports?

Find a discount store

The average fitness gear can cost over $1,000 only to secure the necessary equipment. If you opt for gear-heavy activities, such as golf or climbing, you will need to purchase specialist equipment as well. Needless when following your passion puts your household budget at risk, you can question the real benefits of sports. However, savvy enthusiasts choose alternative shops that offer affordable prices for quality gear and sportswear, such as Rockbottomgolf if you’re into golf, for instance. For seasonal articles, such as skies, it’s often a good idea to consider second-hand options via auction sites or pre-loved stores.

Organize with your local communities

If you or your children join a club, you are likely to face high expenses. However, you can keep your cost down by working with your local community. Indeed, it’s not uncommon for parents to organize gear swap when one child abandons an activity or grows out of their sportswear. Similarly, you can save tons of money by helping your kids to learn the basics. Donating your time can make a real difference, especially if you find parents who are willing to help too.

Yep, you can get paid to play

There are already applications that suggest to pay you to lose weight. Users accumulate points that can be converted in monetary value for working out and sticking to their fitness plan. But one Kickstarter project, Coast2coast app, proposes to pay to play your favorite games, whether it’s basketball, football or soccer. There is no information as to whether the project is completed, but it’s fair to say that this brilliant idea is unlikely to be forgotten!

Should there be financial support?

Ultimately, the cost of sports activities can ask an important question, namely, whether enthusiasts should have access to financial aid. Finally, the benefits of staying active impact your personal health and your social integration. It would be unfair to make something as essential as health maintenance unaffordable. An alternative would be to keep club activities low-cost and provide financial solutions for specialist equipment that encourages people to stay fit and healthy. Take for example the bike peloton which costs $2000 and requires an additional subscription. Has fitness shot itself in the food with the introduction of luxury products?

Making sports affordable is a collective effort that combines discounted items, community interactions, and a reward system. But, more importantly, it is time for the public to demand fitness programs and solutions for all budget, because staying on top of your health shouldn’t be a luxury.