How to Workout Without Going Broke
You know you need to exercise, so what’s stopping you? If you’ve been hiding behind the cost of gym membership, then you need to stop. Working out does not need to be expensive; many forms of exercise are free.
The surgeon general recommends that adults engage in 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. “Physical activity” is a very general term, and its interpretation is largely up to you. What you do is not important; as long as you’re moving, you will be improving your health, improving your appearance, and improving the quality of your life.
If you do not have a lot of money to spend on exercise, or if you simply do not want to spend a lot of money, that’s fine. Walking is both free and easy. If you’re hiding between two excuses not to exercise – time and money – walking is an especially great option. By walking to work, you will burn calories while saving money on gas and parking. And because you will not get stuck in traffic or waste time looking for a good parking spot, you might even save some time. If you live too far from work to walk, consider riding a bike. Even if you have to buy a bike, you will save money on gas in the long run.
Running is another great, inexpensive exercise option. In order to start running, all you need is a good pair of running shoes and a descent outfit; there’s a good chance you already have these.
Some people prefer to workout in privacy, and this is quite understandable. Fortunately, working out at home does not need to cost a lot, either. You really do not need to spend a lot of money in order to buy an expensive exercise machine; there are plenty of used exercise machines for sale. Many of these machines are practically new, too; in many cases, the previous owner used the machine once or twice and then let it collect dust until finally deciding to sell it. Check out garage sales, second-hand stores, and classified listings for great deals on slightly used machines.
If running on a treadmill makes you feel like a caged rodent on a wheel, there are other ways to exercise at home. Exercise videos are fairly inexpensive and can often be found used, too. There are exercise videos for almost every activity; whether you’re interested in yoga, pilates, belly dancing, kick boxing, or tai chi, you can find the perfect video for you. In order to keep things interesting a avoid spending a lot of money, you could buy one new or used video, exercise to it for a month or two, sell it, and then buy a new video.
You can also workout at home without the aid of any machines of videos. All you need to do is create your own routine of stretches, pushups, jumping jacks, sit ups, and other simple moves. You could follow this with a run or walk around the block for a complete, free workout.
If you would prefer to workout with some company but do not want to pay gym membership, consider inviting a friend to join you. This way, you will get free support and may be more likely to keep your new exercise routine. You and your friend might find other forms of exercise that you enjoy, too, like hiking, swimming, or dancing.
If you really do want to go to the gym, try looking for special deals. Depending on the gym you go to, membership might not be as expensive as you thought it would be. Additionally, gyms do offer a variety of classes that you might find interesting and worth the cost.
Finally, if you can afford to spend a lot of money on your workout but just don’t want to, consider doing it anyway. Most likely you’re avoiding spending the money because you’re afraid you won’t use the machine purchased or go to the gym you paid for, and then the money would be wasted. At the same time, knowing that you spent a lot of money might encourage you to workout, especially if you feel guilty about wasting money.
