Affordable Fitness
The subtitle of this blog is “Healthy Living, Without Breaking the Bank.” To date, I’ve produced a lot of posts on prudent financial management, food, healthy recipes (I love to cook), and simplicity, but haven’t had a lot on fitness. Partly, this is because there are a lot of great fitness blogs written by people who know a lot about exercising and correct techniques. Partly it’s because I feel that I am still on the steep learning curve about fitness, and that my fitness experience has lagged my healthy recipe experimentation. I do however want to encourage people who are looking to exercise more and in keeping with the theme of the blog, to address the simplicity and affordability issue. Fortunately, unlike food where there’s only so much that a healthy food budget can be trimmed, exercise is an area where you can get started or re-started with little or practically no cash outlay. Here are some suggestions:
–For weights — consider body-weight exercises (such as push-ups and squats). These are equipment free and various online programs or challenges can help you to progress through the exercises. If you want to use free weights, you might look on Craig’s list for used dumbbells and barbells and price out adjustable weights so that you can add weight as you get stronger.
–For instruction — there are a number of web sites and youtube videos that demonstrate good form for various exercises. If you have access to a mirror, these can be helpful to make sure you have the right posture and range of motion. If you would prefer formal instruction many gyms and community organizations offer group classes at a fairly low rate.
–Gym fees — Although I had a memebership at a gym for many years, I have elected to exercise more outdoors, at a nearby playground for sprints, and at home with bodyweight exercises, that I described yesterday. If going to a gym fits your lifestyle more, be sure to ask about deals, discounts, or services that are included. Many times, a gym will offer free training sessions to help you get acquainted with the equipment or chart out your customized fitness plan. Take advantage of these. After a couple of months, check how many times you go to the gym and make sure that your membership plan is appropriate.
–Special clothing — most fitness plans do not require specific clothing or footwear that isn’t wearable at some other time (although you may not want to wear a swimsuit to the office). One investment worth making is having a proper support bra.
–Consistency — I’ve found that consistency is the key to getting more fit. Not going all out once, getting sore the next day and giving up for six months; but rather, having some good workouts, some not so good ones, incorporating more activity in daily activities and continuing with this without too many breaks. Journaling can help with consistency as can an exercise buddy. Both fit into a simple, affordable fitness scheme.
In the next couple of months, I plan to have occasional updates on how my own fitness routines are progressing. (My goals are to get stronger and lose a bit of bodyfat and gain a bit of muscle). I’m also interested in hearing what you enjoy doing.
shared at Frugal Friday
