Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Fitness On a Low Budget

These days, times are tough and money's tight. And as you look for ways to cut back on expenses, the high cost of your fitness regime may be the first to go. But don't let the poor economy effect the way you exercise. You can still stay fit without busting your budget, and here are four ways to do just that.

Get Fit from Home
Itching to ditch your high-cost gym? I don't blame you. You’re more than likely to spend anywhere between $30 and $50 a month for those workouts. Throw in the initiation fee and you could blow through as much as $800 a year. A simpler - and cheaper - solution? Put that gym membership on hold and get fit at home instead. Gather some budget-friendly equipment, like a jump rope, stability ball, resistance bands and dumbbells, then carve out some calorie-blasting time to try these at-home fitness moves for a solid sweat.

Click and Get FitFitness classes may be an awesome way to blast those calories (depending on what format it is), but their steep prices can add up to mega bucks – especially if you don’t belong to a gym and are paying for them a la carte. To scale back on your fitness fees, check out various resources online or check out ExerciseTV. You can even peruse YouTube.com for free fitness how-to videos or check if your cable provider has on-demand workouts available right on your TV (they may cost a small fee but it will be less than attending class at the local gym).

Make Use of Your SurroundingsYour surroundings is what I refer to as your "Fitness Playground". If the indoor routine just doesn’t do it for you, then slip outside and pound the pavement. You can use just about anything for your personal fitness equipment - park benches, jungle gyms, fences/fence posts, tree limbs (just make sure they're sturdy enough), etc......the list goes on.

You can also map out a route in your neighborhood or in a nearby park and see how long it takes you to walk or run it. Then try to go a bit faster each time, or log a longer distance every time you step out.

Don't forget about your strength training - by using a variety of body weight exercises vs. gravity. Things such as:
  • Squats/Bulgarian Squats
  • Lunges
  • Push-Ups
  • Inverted Rows
  • Dips
  • Pull-Ups
  • Burpees
  • Planks
If you really want to keep things rockin' & rollin', try the TRX Suspension Trainer! It's one AWESOME piece of equipment that durable and most importanly, portable!

Go for Cheap Chow
NO...I'm not talking about fast food! When it comes to staying fit, the food you eat is just as important as the type of workout you do. While it’s great to go all organic (or at least all natural), these body-friendly foods are typically more pricey than more generic fare. But you can take simple steps to getting organic foods for less, like buying in bulk, sticking to in-season produce (or preserved goods in the off-season), and shopping at your local farmers’ market. Shopping at discount shops can also help you keep the costs down on staples like milk, eggs and non-perishables. And of course, it never hurts to clip coupons!

Train smart & stay strong!

-AR

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