Cost of healthy living
Discover how Brits are balancing healthy living costs with low-cost wellbeing habits.
Key points
- Healthy living costs feel manageable for some, while others are switching to cheaper or free options.
- Home cooking, food swaps, outdoor exercise and active travel are helping Brits support their wellbeing for less.
- Walking is the most popular low-cost activity, followed by healthy eating, nature, meeting friends and home workouts.
- Most surveyed adults value small daily habits, while seven in ten plan to focus more on preventative health.
Looking after your health may sometimes feel as though it comes with a list. Whether it’s a gym membership to join, an app to download or a product offering to make wellbeing easier, it could feel financially overwhelming.
That list may also look longer online. Almost half of UK adults, in our recent survey of 2,000 nationally representative Brits, believe social media makes staying healthy seem more expensive than it really is.
With some household budgets feeling under pressure, cost may carry more weight when deciding what fits into a routine. But that doesn’t make wellbeing an all-or-nothing choice. Instead, it opens the door to practical habits that can work around budgets.
Understanding those options matters because cost shouldn’t make healthy living feel out of reach. From everyday routines to free local activities, there are different ways to build wellbeing into daily life without making every healthy choice another expense.
Is healthy living too expensive?
Yes, for some surveyed Brits, healthy living does feel too expensive. This can include eating well, staying active, sleeping enough and supporting their wellbeing. Around three in ten UK adults find it unaffordable, rising to almost four in ten women, compared with just over one in five men. Nearly six in ten adults in our survey also believe staying healthy is becoming too expensive.
But this isn’t everyone’s experience. Almost half of our surveyed UK adults find healthy living affordable, including 13% who say it’s very affordable. More than half of men find healthy living affordable, compared with four in ten women. Views also vary by age, with almost six in ten 25 to 34 year olds finding it affordable, the highest of any age group. A further one in five adults see it as neither affordable nor unaffordable.
Yet, it seems the price tag for healthy living doesn’t tell the whole story. Rising living costs led more than one in four UK adults to switch to cheaper or free ways of looking after their health. This suggests that, for some, staying healthy for less is about changing habits rather than giving them up.
How are people staying healthy for less?
People are staying healthy for less by changing everyday choices, from what they eat to how they exercise. Almost seven in ten surveyed Brits look for ways to manage their health without spending a lot.
Around one in three adults cut back on unhealthy snacks, treats or soft drinks, while a similar number cook at home instead of ordering takeaways. Almost three in ten walk or exercise outdoors rather than paying for a gym membership or fitness class, and one in four walk or cycle for short journeys.
Other ways surveyed Brits are staying healthy for less include:
- focusing on simple habits such as sleep, hydration and walking (31%).
- exercising at home instead of joining a gym (20%).
- switching to lower-cost healthy foods or own-brand products (18%).
- using free online workouts, such as videos or fitness apps (14%).
- using free wellbeing or mindfulness apps (12%).
- joining free local activities, such as parkruns, community fitness classes or walking groups (10%).
Women, based on our survey, are especially likely to make food swaps. Four in ten women cut back on unhealthy snacks, treats or soft drinks, compared with three in ten men. Four in ten of our surveyed women choose home-cooked meals over eating out or takeaways, compared with around one in four men.
These choices suggest that people are adapting routines to support their health while keeping an eye on costs.
Why is walking the most popular free activity?
Walking stands out as both the most preferred low-cost activity and the one people are seemingly most likely to value. More than half of surveyed UK adults relied on walking outdoors to support their wellbeing in the previous three months. Among those using low-cost activities, four in ten believe walking has one of the biggest positive impacts on their wellbeing.
Its popularity grows with age. Almost two in three adults aged 55 and over relied on walking outdoors, compared with just under four in ten 18 to 24 year olds. And it seems women are ten percent more likely to choose walking than men.
“Walking,” reflects our Associate Medical Director Larissa Stevenson, “remains one of the simplest ways to build movement into daily life because it requires little preparation and can fit around existing routines. Whether it's a lunchtime walk, part of a regular journey or time spent outdoors with family and friends, small amounts of activity can add up over time and help people feel more connected to their health and wellbeing.”
What are the most popular low-cost activities?
Walking outdoors leads the way, with more than half of surveyed UK adults relying on it to support their health and wellbeing. Other popular choices include:
- healthy eating (43%).
- spending time in nature (35%).
- meeting friends (31%).
- home workouts (24%).
Which healthy habits make the biggest difference?
Everyday choices around food, nature and social connection are among the habits Brits believe make the biggest difference.
Which activities have the biggest impact?
Beyond walking, healthy eating is the activity Brits seemingly value most. Around one in three surveyed adults believe it’s one of the activities with the biggest positive impact on their health and wellbeing. For around one in five Brits, spending time in nature and meeting friends came next.
Views on healthy eating seemingly vary by age. Four in ten people aged 55 and over believe it’s one of the activities making the biggest difference, compared with one in four 18 to 24 year olds. And women are slightly (six percent) more likely to value healthy eating than men.
Together, the findings suggest that people connect several everyday habits with supporting their health and wellbeing.
And the value of these habits may go beyond how popular they are. Our surveyed Brits seemingly noticed a range of positive changes to their health and wellbeing, from feeling better mentally to sleeping well and managing stress.
What positive changes have people noticed?
Better mental wellbeing tops the list. More than one in three surveyed adults believe their healthy activities helped improve their mental wellbeing, while a similar number felt healthier overall.
The benefits they noticed also stretched into daily life. Overall, almost three in ten say their activities helped them manage stress better, and the same number reported better sleep or energy levels. Around one in four Brits believe the activities had helped them lose weight.
Women, according to our survey, are more likely than men to report an improvement in their mental wellbeing and they are also slightly more likely to say their health-related activities help them manage stress.
Younger adults are particularly likely to notice a social benefit. More than one in four 18 to 24 year olds believe their activities improved their relationships with other people, compared with around one in ten adults aged 55 and over. Together, the findings suggest that our surveyed Brits connect healthy activities with changes spanning their mental, physical and social wellbeing.
How can you stay healthy for less?
Staying healthy for less can start with choices that fit your routine and budget. Planning meals, using what you have and building free movement into your day can all help.
How can you eat healthily for less?
Small changes to how you plan, shop and cook can help make a balanced diet more affordable: Footnote [1] Footnote [2]
- Plan meals around food you already have. Check your cupboards, fridge and freezer before writing a shopping list. This can help prevent unnecessary purchases and reduce waste.
- Compare the unit price. Looking at the cost per 100g or 100ml can show which pack offers better value, as a special offer is not always the cheapest choice.
- Use frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables. These can be lower-cost options, last longer and make it easier to use only the amount you need.
- Make meals go further with pulses. Beans, peas and lentils can be added to soups, stews and other meals as lower-cost sources of protein.
- Cook extra portions. Leftovers can provide another meal, while suitable extra portions can be frozen for later.
- Look for seasonal or reduced produce. Fruit and vegetables may cost less when they are in season or reduced towards the end of the day.
These practical choices can help whether paid wellbeing is part of your routine. In fact, one in four surveyed adults say they haven’t paid for any products or services to support their health and wellbeing during the previous 12 months.
How can you add more movement to your day?
Movement, that’s free of charge, can be built into routines you already have. But it’s important to start with an option that feels manageable, then gradually add more as it becomes part of your day.
| How to fit it into your routine | Potential benefit | |
| Walk more often | Walk part of a regular journey, take a short walk at lunchtime or choose the stairs when practical. If you’re driving, you could also park a little farther from your destination and walk the remaining distance. | A brisk walk can support physical and mental wellbeing, while helping everyday activities feel easier. |
| Try a home workout | Follow a free online routine in a clear space at home. | It could offer a flexible way to be active without travelling to a gym or buying equipment. |
| Walk or cycle (short journeys) | Replace a car or public transport journey where the route and conditions make it practical and safe. | It adds movement to a journey you already need to make, rather than finding separate time for exercise. |
| Join a free local activity | Look for a walking group, community exercise session or local parkrun. | Free group activities offer a regular opportunity to walk, jog or run at your own pace. |
| Use a free activity app | Track walks or follow a beginner-friendly running plan. | An app can help you set goals, follow a plan and keep track of your progress. |
Free local activities appear especially popular with younger adults. Almost one in five surveyed 25 to 34 year olds participate in activities such as parkruns, community fitness classes or walking groups, compared with 4% of people aged 55 and over. Men were also slightly more likely to use these activities than women, although our survey doesn’t suggest what drives this difference.
Can free wellbeing habits be effective?
Yes, for a majority of surveyed Brits, free wellbeing habits may be effective. Almost six in ten adults believe that “DIY wellbeing”, which includes low-cost or free ways to support their health, can be just as effective as paid options. More than half also feel their health improved through the low-cost habits they adopted.
This view spans generations. Six in ten 25 to 34 year olds believe DIY wellbeing can be as effective as paid options, compared with more than half of those aged 55 and over.
Daily choices matter too. More than three in four adults believe small habits can have a big impact on long-term health. And around four in five women share this view, compared with seven in ten men.
Together, these findings suggest that many surveyed Brits see value in simple, low-cost habits. And while everyone’s experience will be different, more than half of those surveyed believe these habits can be as effective as paid options and support improvements to their health.
Why are people prioritising preventative health?
Preventative health means taking steps to maintain your health, reduce the risk of future illness and identify potential health problems early. Seven in ten surveyed adults say they’re likely to focus more on their preventative health over the next 12 months. This could include exercise, healthy eating, hydration or other habits that support their day-to-day wellbeing.
“Preventative health,” explains our Associate Medical Director Larissa Stevenson, “is often about the everyday choices we make consistently over time. Things like eating well, keeping active, sleeping sufficiently and managing stress can all contribute to supporting our health and wellbeing. Prevention doesn't have to mean making dramatic changes. Often, small, sustainable habits are the ones that are easiest to maintain and can become part of a healthier routine.”
Almost three in four adults also believe that investing in their health today can help them avoid future health problems. And our surveyed women are seemingly more likely to share this belief than men. A similar pattern appears in their plans for the year ahead. Almost three in four women are likely to focus more on preventative health, compared with around two in three men.
For surveyed Brits, prevention starts with familiar parts of daily life. More than half associate it with healthy eating, while around half point to regular exercise and good sleep. Almost one in three also connect it with reducing stress. Together, these findings show the different everyday habits people associate with looking after their health for the future.
All statistics in this article are from Aviva. Censuswide Survey (J15666CWMPg). 21 April 2026 - 24 April 2026.
The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2000 Nat Rep UK Respondents, aged 18+. The data was collected between 21.04.2026 - 24.04.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.
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