Juliet Murphy’s fitness series in Irish Country Living draws to a close this week, but hopefully you’re determined to continue with her training ahead of summer. Getting fit doesn’t need to cost a fortune, so forget those fancy treadmills. Fitness experts Juliette Murphy and John O’Connell have the following advice.

Invest in a good pair of runners

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Runners, trainers, sneakers, whatever you call them, a good pair of workout shoes are an important investment – not just for support, but also to prevent injury.

“If you’re hitting the shops always check what’s on sale. Often you’ll get a really good pair of runners that were €100 or €120 reduced to €60 or €70,” says John O’Connell.

But which one is the pair for you?

“You want something that has good support and cushion, but you don’t need anything over the top. Asics do a very good runner,” he adds.

Juliet Murphy agrees:

“If you know you have flat feet the Asics Gel range and Nike Pegasus have good support. If on the other hand you have a high arch, Sketchers work well for indoor workouts.”

If neither of these problems bother you and you’ve really increased your activity, John says over time you should think about a thin-soled runner.

“Having all that cushion and support is great initially, but remember that your feet have their own arch support. If you’re training for a long time with all this arch support, it can weaken the muscles in your feet.”

If ramping up your exercise regime, a good pair of runners is something you need to replace regularly.

“Think of them like a pair of tyres on your car and replace every six to eight months,” adds Juliet.

A good sports bra

This one is for the ladies. When it comes to supporting the bust €30 or more on a good sports bra is a great investment.

“I had a sports bra that I bought for €15 which I thought did the job fine. Then I bought a more expensive Adidas one and it was a complete game changer. I couldn’t get over the difference,” says Juliette.

Recently, Irish Country Living tested the Shock Absorber bra, which is that bit more expensive at €48.50. It claims to achieve an overall bounce reduction of up to twice as much as a normal bra.

Having given it a good trial in an intense workout, it was significantly better than a sports bra we tested from Penneys.

It was very snug and supportive, as it works on the premise that when training the breasts move in a continuous figure of eight pattern, which can lead to rubbing and chafing.

Although it was a bit of challenge to put on – it has two straps (which can be hard to reach in the upper back) – you appreciate that extra support when working out.

Sports bras are something you really need to try on. While in the changing room do the bounce test to ensure you feel fully supported.

Make sure your entire breast is secured in the bra. This is not the time for cleavage ladies.

Bigger-busted women may be uncomfortable wearing a bra without underwire support, but Juliette says this is not advisable.

“The wires can rub against the breast and cause resistance,” she explains.

The right kit

Runners and sports bras sorted. What’s next on the shopping list? Expensive Lycra leggings and climate control tops? John O’Connell says: “Now here is where you can save your money. If you’re starting out a comfortable cotton T-shirt and loose tracksuit pants are all the investment you need.”

“Look out for the sales in the likes of Lidl and Aldi or hit Dunnes Stores and Penneys for a cheap hoodie,” agrees Juliet.

You might think the gear is too light, but this can work in your favour. Irish Country Living tested fitness gear from Lidl and the best thing about it is that it’s very easy to wash. Throw it into the machine after a workout and it’ll be dry for your session the next day.”

In fact, John O’Connell says the fancy climate control gear, which claims to keep the sweat away from your body, isn’t all its hyped up to be.

“I’ve bought them for working in the gym, but found that after wearing them for the full day they smell far more than if I’d just worn a cotton T-shirt.”

Gear for the home

Juliet Murphy’s fitness series was free in Irish Country Living, but now you might be thinking you need to buy some fancy equipment for your home. However, John and Juliette say there are better ways to spend your money.

John says: “I used to train people in their home and the amount of clients that had treadmills that were only used as a clothes’ hanger was unbelievable. If working out at home is the only option for you though, there are far better and cheaper ways to do it than running on a treadmill.

“Using your own body weight can lead to much faster and better results. Think about it, all exercises are movements produced by your muscles. Yes you can walk or run, but these are all repetitions of a stride. One squat has way more benefits than one step. When you start multiplying that, you start burning more calories and getting more results. So getting advice from an expert or attending a class that you can do at home is a much better investment than a treadmill. You’re laying the foundations for better results,” says John.

Juliette adds: “You don’t need to complicate things. Using your body weight to train and tone improves balance, stability and your core – which will improve lots of simple daily activities, such as lifting.”

If you are going to buy any equipment for the house, a good set of kettlebells or dumbbells will help improve these exercises.

“Start at eight and 12 kilo kettle bells if you’re a woman, or 12 and 16 kilos if you’re a man. Get good advice on your technique and you’ll really see the benefits,”concludes John.

News briefs

Who have you booked your holiday with?

Last week, we talked about Google’s new Flight Search tool which was launched in Ireland. That and other online comparison sites, such as SkyScanner and Trivago, are convenient ways to find the cheapest flights and hotels for your holiday, allowing you to compare different rates and deals.

However, the European Consumer Centre is advising people to be extra careful when using these sites because they can cause a lot of confusion if something goes wrong. In fact, complaints about booking sites accounted for 50% of all accommodation and passenger queries in 2013, an increase of 68% on 2012.

When people book through these websites they are unsure about who their contract lies with – is it the booking site or the service provider? Who do you turn to if there is a problem?

Irish Country Living has found that in most cases your contract lies with the service provider, such as the airline, rather than the booking website, so this is who you should be complaining to.

However, it’s not always as clear-cut as that and you need to check out the terms and conditions. These should show the exact nature of the relationship between the booking site and the customer, as well as other information, such as how to cancel or change your booking. You also need to read the terms and conditions of the service provider as this may list extra information, such as the documents you need upon arrival. It sounds like a bit of work, but it will be worth it if something goes wrong. Happy travelling.

Have you had a baby in the last five years?

Have you had a baby in Ireland between 2010 and 2014? Were you happy or not with the maternity services you received? Well a national consumer survey called What Matters to YOU is giving you the chance to have your say.

Run by AIMS Ireland (the Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services) it covers everything from antenatal care, information received, your experience of labour and the care you got afterwards.

Co-chair of AIMS Ireland, Krysia Lynch says:

“As users of the maternity services in Ireland, it’s so important that we hear what women have to say, both the good and the bad. We hope to paint a picture of what maternity services in Ireland look like for the families using them and to make sure that their voices are heard.”

The anonymous survey is available on the AIMS website www.aimsireland.com and will run until the end of June. It has 100 questions and takes about 30 minutes to complete. Irish Country Living will be sure to give you an update of the results during the summer.