Are you are someone who finds it difficult to swallow the lump in your throat every time you fork out your gym membership? With the rising cost of living, you reason that you can’t afford such a luxury. The good news is that numerous fitness resources are available at little or no cost, to be enjoyed in the privacy and comfort of your own home, with no professional assistance. You can get and stay fit without stepping foot into a gym again by trying one or more of the following.
Walking. One of the easiest and least expensive forms of exercise is walking, as it requires no equipment other than a comfortable pair of shoes. You can listen to music or chat with a friend while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors. During inclement weather, walk inside a school or shopping mall. Although walking leisurely has many health benefits, your goal may be to burn more calories. Turn your evening stroll into a high-powered workout by adding some strap-on ankle or wrist weights, using ski-poles to work your upper body, or attempting hilly terrain. Set goals for yourself using a pedometer and stopwatch, and track your mileage by using pre-plotted courses such as a high school track.
Running. For those who are physically able, running burns even more calories and is only slightly more expensive with the investment in a pair of running shoes. Casual running clubs hosted by athletic stores in your area can help you stay motivated and make friends, while websites such as active.com and athlinks.com have information on races and allow you to store your results and track your progress for free.
Fitness tools. Retail stores have tons of fitness tools to help you design your own strength-training routine. What the gyms don’t tell you is that many weight-lifting techniques can be performed just as effectively at home, without a bench press or other heavy equipment. Hand weight sets, resistance bands, push up bars, weighted balls, and more are available at most retailers and include instructions and suggested workouts.
DVD workouts. These are a great inexpensive resource for personal training, and are available at most libraries so you can check them out before purchasing your own copy. DVD workout programs include cardio, strength-training, dance, yoga, Pilates, and more often feature celebrity trainers to help get you motivated even more. DVD programs range anywhere from 10-60 minutes, so you should be able to find something that fits well into your schedule.
YouTube videos. Anyone can post a YouTube workout, so make sure videos you find are led by qualified individuals who will be giving sound techniques. As with DVDs, there are a range of programs available based on what interests you, with the perk that YouTube videos are free.
These are just a few of the fitness resources available outside the gym, proving that costly gym memberships do not have to be an obstacle. Fitness is an attainable goal! Your self-esteem will soar as you find resources that address your personal needs and discover new and interesting ways to make fitness a part of your everyday life.
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I’m a fat girl but not too fat. I’ve muscles in my stomach yet it’s like a pot and I’ve got thigh fat too. How can I lose weight and curb cravings to have a slim figure?
Curb cravings? If you ever find that one out, please let me know! That secret would sell for millions. In my late teens I was trying to give up smoking before I had a serious addiction. Complaining to my Doctor one day about how this didn’t work and how that didn’t work he made one very solid point that I will never forget……THERE IS NO EASY WAY!!!! IT’S HARD!!! But if you want it badly enough, you will find a way to get through those cravings. I find I crave sugar. The more I eat, the more I want, so cutting sugar back or right out of my diet reduces cravings eventually. But they are always in the background. Take the hard road, and you will feel GREAT when you accomplish your goal.