{"id":4501,"date":"2013-02-13T05:51:46","date_gmt":"2013-02-13T13:51:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/?p=4501"},"modified":"2013-02-11T08:52:29","modified_gmt":"2013-02-11T16:52:29","slug":"how-much-should-you-spend-on-workout-gear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/how-much-should-you-spend-on-workout-gear\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much Should You Spend on Workout Gear?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Perhaps one of your goals this year is to establish a habit of working out on a regular basis. Fairly soon into your fitness journey you\u2019ll discover that getting healthier doesn\u2019t come for free, either physically <i>or<\/i> financially. First of all, you may need to sign up for a gym membership (<a href=\"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/getting-fit-without-the-gym\/\">although there are many alternatives<\/a>) which requires a monthly fee. If you\u2019ve decided to workout in your home, you\u2019ll need to acquire equipment, DVDs, etc. In either case, you will need the appropriate accessories and, of course, workout clothes.<\/p>\n<p>Before you know it, your <a href=\"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/7-tips-to-reaching-your-fitness-goals\/\">fitness goal<\/a> can eat up quite a bit of your money. Although getting and staying in shape is important and definitely worth an investment of time and finances, where do you draw the line? The following tips will help you decide what you <i>really <\/i>need and how much you should be spending on it.<\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Exercise Equipment<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p>If you want to get your own <a href=\"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/7-frugal-ways-to-exercise-diy-home-gym\/\">exercise equipment <\/a>and have the space for it, you don\u2019t need to buy everything brand new. Check neighborhood garage sales, classified listings, Craigslist, and sites like freecycle.org. Be persistent and you should be able to find the equipment you need in good condition for far less than full retail price, if not for free. There are less expensive items you may want to buy new, such as yoga mats, but you can still spend less by looking for off-brands and more basic-looking styles.<\/p>\n<p>Consider swapping workout DVDs with a friend instead of buying them. Both of you will be able to try new programs without the expense.<\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Workout apparel<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p>Unless you\u2019re a serious athlete, the truth is you don\u2019t really <i>need<\/i> specialized clothing to workout in. Sure, some clothing promises to wick away sweat and moisture and keep you cooler, but you don\u2019t need it to get a good workout.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Use what you have. <\/b>Chances are you have all you need for workout apparel already in your closet. Comfy t-shirts, shorts and sweatpants will do just fine.<\/li>\n<li><b>Focus on comfort<\/b>. If you don\u2019t feel comfortable wearing compression capris or workout tanks, don\u2019t wear them. If you associate working out with discomfort, you\u2019ll be less likely to stick with it. Wear loose, lightweight, comfortable clothing. If you\u2019re focused on appearances, you\u2019re going to drop a lot of money, and fancy workout clothes won\u2019t give you any better workouts than plain t-shirt and shorts.<\/li>\n<li><b>Watch for deals<\/b>. If you like a particular name brand but don\u2019t want to pay for it, shop outlet stores. These stores often have huge seasonal sales and closeouts you won\u2019t see other places. In my opinion, if you\u2019re spending more than $30-$40 for any particular piece of clothing, you\u2019re paying too much.<\/li>\n<li><b>Try off<\/b>&#8211;<b>brands<\/b>. Many smaller retailers have developed their own lines of workout gear that mimic major brands and have surprisingly similar quality for a fraction of the cost, definitely affirming that you\u2019re \u2018paying for the name.\u2019<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Shoes<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p>One exception to the \u2018wear anything\u2019 philosophy of workout apparel is your shoes. Good-quality shoes are a vital part to any workout regimen. Never buy used shoes, and replace your shoes regularly to provide proper support. If you\u2019re walking or cross-training, yearly replacements should be fine. If you\u2019re a runner, replace your shoes based on mileage and wear \u2013 as often as every 3-6 months. Although you will pay a little more for quality shoes ($50-$100), it\u2019s a worthwhile investment. For the best fit, visit a specialty store with staff that are trained to fit your shoes to your needs and particular walking or running gait.<\/p>\n<p>Although you will need to invest in a few quality items to meet your fitness goals successfully, there are many ways to spend little or nothing on workout gear. Focus on the goal rather than appearances, and you\u2019ll be helping your finances as well as your health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Perhaps one of your goals this year is to establish a habit of working out on a regular basis. Fairly soon into your fitness journey you\u2019ll discover that getting healthier doesn\u2019t come for free, either physically or financially. First of all, you may need to sign up for a gym membership (although there are many [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[147],"tags":[44,104,510,267,302,14,23,39],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4501"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4501"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4501\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}