Getting in Shape Without Going Broke
I’m the kind of chick who has always been weight conscious. I’ve never starved myself or cried over my weight but I always make sure I get a good workout in and I hate the discomfort I feel when I put on weight and my jeans dig into me. Because eating is truly a joy in my life, I can’t do the diet thing and have to keep my weight in check through exercise and portion control. Over the last 10 years, I have spent too much money on exercise. I’ve joined gyms, signed up for personal trainers, ran in races, invested in dumbbells, yoga mats, medicine balls.
Now that we’re moving, it’s time to cancel our pricey gym membership. I’m sad to not have access to a nice gym but I vow to get my exercise in without going broke. In the past, this is what exercise has cost me…
- Gym membership ($180 a month for 2 people) – we did get good use out of swimming pools, tennis courts, exercise classes and a rock wall though!
- Personal trainer – $80 for a 1/2 hour session
- Running in a race – anywhere between $20 and $80 depending on the length and size
- Indoor rock climbing – $25 a session
Now that we are moving to Seattle, I plan on taking advantage of the beautiful outdoors and saving on exercises expenses. I’m going to put off a gym membership for as long as possible by doing the following:
- Walking. The great thing about living in downtown is that you don’t need a car and you can walk everywhere. All this walking helps to keep the fat off. I used to live in NYC when I was younger and walked everywhere. I never ever had to think about my weight because I was doing so much walking everyday!
- Hiking. With the mountains and hills everywhere, I will make an effort to go hiking on the weekends with my husband. Great for a nice butt!
- Biking (maybe). We don’t have bikes right now so if we decide to go biking, we’ll have to invest in bikes which are expensive. I’m also not sure if we’ll have space in our apartment for 2 bikes so we’ll have to see. It is tempting though because there is a waterfront bike trail right outside the apartment building we’re looking at!
- Fitness DVDs. I believe in the benefits of resistance training, yoga and pilates so instead of signing up at a studio, I figure why not do it at home on my mat? Most DVDs are around $13. Here are some great ones…
Exercise is not only a great way to keep the fat off but it’s also very beneficial to your health. If exercising can help reduce your chances of heart disease or cancer or stroke, I’d say it’s well worth the amount of money you put into yourself right now rather than having to pay medical bills later on.
Are there any other inexpensive/free ways of exercising that any of you out there practice?
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:36 pm
I found some great yoga videos on youtube and I am just starting one now. Actually I started on Feb 1st so this is only my third day.
I also have a hula hoop and use it while I am watching my favorite shows on Hulu so I get about 45 mins of hula hooping done!!!!!
I have never ‘exercised’ so this is all a warm up but I figure if I can commit to doing 5 minutes of yoga every morning before work and hula hooping while I watch tv then as I get stronger I can add in more of a real workout.
February 3rd, 2010 at 1:11 pm
I’m not sure who your cable provider is, but if it is Time Warner, they have a good amount of Exercise Videos on Demand. All for free!
February 3rd, 2010 at 3:03 pm
I love exercising too and have been lucky to inherit a hand me down Norditrack. It’s set up in my exercise room. I try to avoid gym membership since it’s too tempting to chat and make friends instead of focusing on the workout itself. Like LuLu said, go onto YouTube and you can download and watch free exercise videos. If you want to do Yoga at home and feel that you don’t sweat enough, you can put a small portable heater next to you to induce the sweat. That is what I did before when engaging in at home yoga.
February 7th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Losing weight is an undeclared goal that I’m fighting this year. I’ve been trying to get exercise by playing with my kids, but that’s not enough. So now I’ve added food reduction and some “low key” free weight lifting.
I like to work out with weights, and weight resistance slows down aging and create a more attractive body.
February 8th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Have you thought about joining a mall walkers club? When I was home this past winter break I decided to get a job at one of the big box retailers in the mall and whenever I had to work in the morning I arrived a little early and did a lap or two around the mall. The mall also gives you coupons for being a mall walker!