HARD-UP residents in Bromsgrove and Redditch are being offered a helping hand to keep fit for free during September.

Community exercise classes are being made available for people who are struggling to make ends meets

Council officials fear that residents may sacrifice their health and ditch the spiralling costs of gym memberships as prices continue to rise.

To counter this trend, the council's Sports Development Team are offering free or low cost option for keeping healthy during these difficult times.

They will be offering the majority of their community exercise sessions for free during the first two weeks of September in an attempt to encourage residents to prioritise their health.

As a result, they will provide free classes for active seniors, joint effort, zumba, pilates and more. The free classes will run alongside their Worcestershire Walks for Health and Walking football, which are already free of charge..

Classes will be predominantly run during the daytime and can be located within the community so residents can access a class close to them.

The classers available offer a range of exercise that should suit most people's needs.

Classes are pay as you go and most will charge around £4 per person for each session, making them more accessible that requiring a membership to take part.

For further details about which classes are running and on what days, simply go to: www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/communityclasses or just keep an eyte on the council's social media channels