If you love to exercise, or even if you simply tolerate it to better your health, you probably already know it can get quite costly to join a gym or exercise club. Prices for a single membership can range anywhere from $40.00 per month to as much as $125.00 per month.
In large cities where real estate is at a premium, some gyms charge over $200.00 per month. Your monthly budget can take quite a hit at those prices. But there are ways to get your daily exercise quota without it costing you an arm and a leg. Here are seven free ways to exercise without a gym.
Take it Outside
If the weather permits and you own a bike, go for a ride. If you don?t, take a jog or a walk around your neighborhood or a nearby park. Another idea is to partner up with a friend or spouse for some Frisbee. Or, add some wheels by sliding into some roller skates or roller blades.
Exercise Indoors at Home
You could do body weight exercises such as sit-ups, crunches, leg lifts, squats, tri-cep curls and any number of other activities while moving around your house. As you move from one room to another, do walking lunges. Arm curls could be combined with putting your canned goods away after grocery shopping.
Watch Television
Yes, you read this correctly. Do you have a favorite television show? If you do, add some jumping jacks while you watch. Or, pick out one of the many exercise programs you usually skip over and watch it while following along. If they aren?t shown at a convenient time, record them so you can watch and sweat when it works for your schedule. Just don’t get sucked in and end up wasting too much time watching TV.
Can?t find one you like? Pick something out on the internet instead. There are plenty to choose from on YouTube. Or, borrow an exercise DVD from a friend or the library.
Take the Long Way
Whenever you can, park as far away from your as possible so can you walk further. If you have quite a few errands to run, these steps can really add up. Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you can. Look for opportunities to take the long way whenever you can. Just make sure you build a little extra time into your schedule so you aren’t late to your destination.
Go Shopping
If you live near a mall, walk around in the mall at a fairly fast pace. But watch out! Leave your checkbook at home so you aren?t tempted to stop and shop. Some malls keep the main doors open even after stores are closed for the day so local walkers can come and get their exercise without the temptation to shop or the slow day time traffic of shoppers.
Go Back to School
If you don?t live near a mall, maybe you live near a college campus. Don some sneakers and take a fast paced walk around it. If there is a track and you aren?t interfering with any sporting events or practices, maybe you could walk or jog there. Remember, if there are no college?s where you live, there might be a high school that would be willing to accommodate you.
Check With Your Local Recreation Department
Not all cities have recreation departments, and some do charge fees for all or part of their activities. However, this is not the case everywhere, and it could be worth checking into. You may be able to join a sports team, an exercise challenge, or a walking club.
The options suggested above are only a few of the ways you could exercise without a gym and add some physical activity to your life without it hitting you hard in the wallet. The point is to think about ways you can add more movement to your day without adding any extra expenses to your budget. What are you waiting for? Get a move on!
Have you used any of these ideas to exercise without a gym? How else might you be able to exercise without a gym?
Photo courtesy of: RyanMcGuire
Wise Dollar
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I exercise while watching TV. Some forms of exercises I do are lunges, triceps extension, bicep curls, and others, which wouldn’t require me lots of movement like mountain climbers. It feels good that you do two things at the same time.
Great ideas!