Working Out on a Budget

Getting in shape doesn’t mean blowing your budget if you really cannot afford a gym membership. There is no excuse for not becoming a healthier you – with little or no money involved.

For the people who don’t have extra money to spend:

You can always use everyday objects around your home to serve as fitness equipment. Here are a couple of examples:

- Fill up plastic jugs (such as old bleach jugs) with sand or water to serve as weights.
- Try a variety of calisthenics such as jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups which do not require any equipment.
- Take advantage of everyday opportunities as they arise – walk to the grocery store if you only need to pick up a few things, take the stairs instead of the elevator, choose a fun family activity such as bike riding instead of watching television together, or get really “into” household chores being sure to keep your heart rate elevated
- Pick up some exercise DVD’s at the local library for free and rotate them so you don’t get bored.

For the people who have a small budget ($10 – $50):

- Head over to the closest dollar store, walking of course, and purchase a plastic skipping rope to supplement your cardio workouts. You can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour jumping rope making it one of the most effective and inexpensive cardio workouts possible.
- Dumbbells are a great addition to your workout. Add in more moves to your already growing workout and use your stabilizing muscles more often.
- Resistance tubes are also a very inexpensive method of adding resistance training without breaking the bank. They range from $7 for one to $20 for a set and will add a new dimension to the way you work out. Most sets come with a booklet on how to properly perform exercises and are not limited to only the upper body.
- Purchase an inexpensive fitness ball to add in new moves and take your core workout to another level. These balls don’t have to only be a part of your workout when you’re working out; use it as a chair when you’re watching television or on the computer for a chance to work your core out without even realizing it.

For the people who have a larger budget to work with ($50+):

- Try looking online for deals on used gym equipment. You can often find great deals from people who don’t even use their previously purchased goods. I once paid $60 for an elliptical machine that works perfectly that I found online and use it almost every day.
- Check with your local recreation centers to see if they offer discounted rates for just classes. Often, you can choose classes that incorporate strength training with cardio for a complete workout in about an hour at nearly half the cost of regular privately owned gyms.

Getting healthy doesn’t mean that you need to spend an arm and a leg to get there. Often, it means working with what you have available to you and making every second count