Fitness on a budget

Times are hard, and we're all feeling it. I'm, as I type this, thinking about all the ways that me and my husband can cut back on some things to save a little money now that performance season is coming up. I'm a saver, so I like to start early making a small nest egg, and this unfortunately might mean cutting back on....my gym membership.

Saving $50 a month sounds pretty good, but when I weigh it with losing all that gym equipment, tons of classes and free/open rehearsal space, it's hard for me to give it up. Still, I think it might be worth it to put a little money away so Dave has some financial cushioning while I'm off doing my thing. So I've started to think of more ways I can exercise without a gym.

First of all, my apartment complex has a small gym. The only problem is that the ellipticals in that gym are AWFUL.But, I can use mine at home then go to the apt gym for weights and other machines. It's doable.

But many people don't have apartment given fitness centers and I may not always have that luxury, so I definitely had some creative thinking to do.

Fitness doesn't have to cost $50/month or $99 per week or whatever gyms and trainers cost these days. You can get fit in the beautiful outdoors or the comfort of your own home for next to nothing, especially if you have someone like me giving you tips, tricks and training sessions online! lol Glad I can help!

Here are a few ideas for exercising at home or outside:

-Take your own stairs. Walk up and down the stairs while listening to your iPod. It's like having your own stair master, complete with interval training! Doing this for 30 minutes will easily burn 300 calories (based on calorie chart for a 150 pound person). Trust me a half hour or even an hour will go by fast when you're listening to your favorite playlist.

-Play some tag or sports in your lawn or at the park. Join a pick up game of football or ultimate frisbee if you see people playing at the park. Get your friends together for a game of basketball. Got kids in your life? Great! Nothing can motivate you to get up and move more than getting your butt kicked at tag by a 10 year old. :)

-Yoga/pilates/zumba/etc on tv. here are actually fitness channels now on Comcast or other cable/satellite provider listings that have easy to follow workouts that you can do right in your own home! Give it a click!

-Take the dog, or your Significant Other, for a walk!
Go fast or go slow; it doesn't matter. Just go! Spend an hour just walking around or to the store and back. Those calories will burn away and you'll actually get to connect a bit more with your furry friend, your beau or yourself.


I have plenty of ideas along these lines and as I try them myself, I'll keep sharing them with all of you and let you know what seems to work the best :)