• 24.7 million Brits began a health or fitness resolution this year
• By 29th January over half will have given up

New Year’s resolutions have a bad rap. Whether it’s joining a gym, changing diets or just going for a jog they are notoriously hard to stick to. Despite this, 24.7 million* Brits made a resolution this year.

New research from VoucherCodes.co.uk reveals health and fitness resolutions are the first to go and this Thursday 29th January is the day most UK adults are likely to throw in the towel. Just one in four people with fitness intentions (24 per cent) will make it to the start of February and 14.6 million** will quit ahead of this weekend.  

Despite the health kick being short-lived for most, those vowing to get into shape will spend an extra £1.4 billion*** this month as a result of their temporary health kick with things like healthy food, new exercise gear and gym membership setting each person back by an extra £58.55. 

The most popular fitness resolution for 2015 is clean eating, with one in five (19 per cent) cutting processed food out of their diet in a bid to get healthier.  One in six (17 per cent) joined a new gym this month and one in seven (15 per cent) have started running. It seems that many have also been inspired by the likes of Charlotte Crosby as fitness DVDs are also high on the list of things people will be trying out to help get in shape.

Top methods for getting healthy this year:

1. Clean eating
2. The gym
3. Running
4. Body weight training
5. Fitness DVD
6. Yoga
7. H.I.I.T.
8. Souping
9. Juicing
10. Pilates

Men are likely to stick with their fitness resolutions slightly longer than women, with the average British man persevering until 30th January compared to the 27th for women. Adults in Swansea are the most dedicated to their new regimes, making it to the 13th February and over a third (38 per cent) stating they'll keep it up beyond February. Those in Chelmsford will be the first to throw in the towel with the average resident making it to 21st January and a 20 per cent quitting in the very first week of the New Year.

Anita Naik, lifestyle editor of VoucherCodes.co.uk comments: “Getting fitter and healthier is a big priority for many after the excesses of the festive period, but whether you’re hitting the gym or overhauling your diet being healthy can be expensive. All that extra expenditure can make it difficult to maintain these resolutions, which is potentially a reason so many Brits will have given up by the 29th January.

“For those on a budget, there are so many ways to keep your fitness resolutions going without spending a fortune. I’ve pulled together some of my biggest tips below to help you stay on track and within budget all year round.”

Use Pinterest. You can find millions of fitness programmes like the 30 Day Squat Challenge, simple home workouts and even H.I.I.T. for free. These are all posted by fitness bloggers or personal trainers so have the professional stamp of approval!

Take advantage of free classes. Every Sweaty Betty boutique (there are 34 across the UK) offers free classes with the aim of inspiring local communities to get active. After hours, the boutiques morph into fitness studios hosting everything from body attack to yoga – all run by certified Sweaty Betty Club Coaches or Ambassadors. Just register at www.sweatybetty.com/clubs/ and call your local club to book a place.

Make YouTube your personal trainer. Whilst we’d all love our own personal trainer, at around £35 a session it’s not something all of us can afford. Whilst it’s not quite as good as the real thing, YouTube is a great alternative as many top personal trainers upload amazing workout videos each week. My personal favourites are Jillian Michaels, Katy Hearn and Cassey Ho.

Don’t rule out the gym. Gyms are now cheaper than ever, my biggest piece of advice is try before you buy. VoucherCodes.co.uk often has free passes at gyms like Fitness First and LA Fitness so you can sample your chosen place for three to five days before you commit to a membership. There are also some great pay-as-you-go options such as payasUgym and SportsDirect’s gyms

Visit NHS Choices. The Live Well section of the NHS website has everything from diet plans to workout videos all available free of charge – just visit www.nhs.uk/livewell.

Harness the power of your smartphone. If you have a smartphone, there are hundreds of apps that can help you get in shape for free. I like the 7 minute workout app which is like a personal trainer in the palm of your hand, and at only 7 minutes it’s a great routine for anyone who’s a bit time poor – H.I.I.T. at its best!

Notes to editors:

Research of 2,000 UK adults conducted by OnePoll on behalf of VoucherCodes.co.uk between 16th  and 20th January 2015.
* 49 per cent of 50,501,583 (ONS adult population) = 24,745,776
** 59 per cent of 24,745,776 (percentage of people who will quit by 29th January) = 14,600,008
*** 24,745,776 (49 per cent UK population) x £58.55 (average additional spend) = £1,448,865,165.48