Getting fit on the cheap
Maybe you’ve been putting off exercise because you don’t want to pay for an expensive gym membership. Well, you don’t have to join a gym to exercise. There are a variety of ways to exercise that are inexpensive or even free.
- Check out yoga, aerobics, or other exercise DVDs from your local library or online.
- Work around the house: mow the lawn, pull weeds, rake, vacuum, scrub the shower & floors, paint, shovel snow, etc. (Of course the bonus to this is that your house gets into great shape right along with you.)
- If you have a community pool, swim regularly. Swimming is great exercise.
- Walk a dog, or just plain walk or jog on your own or with others.
- Jump rope.
- You can even use soup cans or sandbags for some exercises.
If you are interested in group exercise without the gym prices, consider starting a group of your own with friends or coworkers, or sign up for classes at a community college. Community colleges are great, both because they help to keep you accountable and because you generally only have to pay for a single credit hour in order to take a semester-long course. Pilate’s classes are usually a great bargain at a community college.
If you do decide to join a gym, remember to bargain with them first and ask about specials and restrictions. Prices at many gyms and health clubs are extremely flexible. Be sure that you get exactly what you do want, and nothing that you don’t.
