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...of Creative
Frugality
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Creatively
Frugal Fitness
How do you get in shape and
stay in shape without spending a fortune?
"I have been an aerobics
instructor and trainer for 11 years. Here are just a few tips to
help your readers get into shape.
* Do not buy a gym membership if you know you just don't like to
go -- you won't! Do you have a small space at home or in the yard?
Block out a chunk of time. It can be 5 minutes or an hour. Use
whatever time you can. Set your timer and dance to your favorite
music, do a few pushups or squats while you watch your favorite TV
show, or play sports with your kids. My favorite activity is
jumping on the trampoline with my four-year-old. The local park is
a great place for climbing and pull-ups. My city has a free
exercise
trail with equipment.
*Local libraries are great resources for exercise videos and books
on weight training. Our small library carries a newly published
book on Pilates (an exercise method I recommend to ALL my
clients). Check your TV schedule for exercise programs. ESPN and
public television channels are good sources.
*If you feel you must go to a gym or hire a trainer to get fit,
you CAN do it without breaking the bank. Call around and tour the
gyms in your area.
Leave your checkbook at home. Do not fall for the scam that you
must pay today in order to get the great deal. Not true! Tell the
tour guide (salesperson) upfront that you are not going to sign a
contract today and that you are taking time with your decision. If
they pressure you, hassle you, or ignore you, then you don't want
to work out in a place that doesn't respect you. Take into
consideration the location and hours. If you are a
morning person then you need a gym with an early opening time.
Call the city recreation office, local college, or hospitals to
find a low-cost fitness
facility that is open to the public. These places usually do not
have commissioned salespeople trying to get you to sign a
contract, so you can
avoid the sales pitch and find what fits your needs. The hospital
in my town has a very nice gym and aerobic program that is so
affordable and
convenient, but very few people know it is available to the
public! If you need a trainer, ask if he or she will set up a
program that you can follow
2-3 times weekly. Meet with them until you feel comfortable with
the exercises and then work on your own until you get bored. Then
ask them to
work with you on a new routine. I used to meet my frugal clients
every 6 weeks instead of twice a week. They just needed someone to
give them a
routine so they could work out alone.
*If hiring a trainer is out of the question, find another frugal
friend to exercise with. Hold each other accountable. Meet 3 times
a week to walk,
run, bike, or swim. When my child was small, I would meet other
moms at the park to push our strollers.
* If you are really frugal (like me) you can get paid to exercise!
I answered a call for instructors at my local university. They
trained me, paid for my certification, and paid me to teach and
train a few hours weekly. I found a part-time job that keeps me
fit, I have met the most wonderful friends, and I use my expertise
in the health ministry at my
church too! Don't be afraid, go for it!" ~ Jennifer
"This is something we did
three months ago, when I knew that it would cost a lot of money to
get a better car, mainly because of the cost of insurance, and our
old one just needed too much work. We sold our car! My 9-year-old
daughter and I took up cycling and using the bus. We get a kick
out of knowing that we're not polluting the atmosphere and we have
both got fitter. Also, my daughter and I talk more and notice
things like ducks in the river, birds flying, people who we say
hello to, pets and beautiful trees and gardens. I cycle with her
to school and then back to my work, and it adds up to 8km a day.
People have been commenting on how well we look. Yesterday she had
a friend over, and we bussed into town and on the way back we had
to run to catch our bus. I couldn't help noticing how unfit her
little friend was. It wasn't that far and we weren't going that
fast--it's just that my daughter and I are less pampered now. We
have saved money on the cost of owning a car, as well as gym
membership." ~ Julianne
(New Zealand)
"In May 2003, I learned that
I had high cholesterol. So, I found an out-of-print book
that I remember seeing many years ago at a health food
store called 'The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure.' I read the book
and consulted with my doctor who told me what dosage of Niacin was
right for me. I also started eating a lot of oatmeal and oat bran.
Up until last month I was making oat bran muffins too. I have not
only lowered my cholesterol by following the book and my doctor's
advice, but I have also lost 42 lbs. in the process with very
little effort on my part. Now, I am open for ideas on exercising
when you don't have the room to
do exercise videos. We live in approx. 300 sq. ft. of space and
our weather is very intense and hot seven months out of the year
and we have no swimming pool or spa. Hopefully, there will
be lots of responses to this question that I can glean information
from. By the way, I also work full-time and many times over
8 hours a day." ~ Angel
"My
friend and I who met at Lamaze class 3 years ago take our kids
in strollers and walk around her neighborhood once or twice a
week after I teach her a piano lesson!
Now I have a double stroller because I had another baby 6
months ago.
" ~ Melissa
in NC
"I am 30 years old and have
been walking for about 12 years. I try to walk about 30
minutes to an hour a day. In addition to getting me moving, it
is extremely therapeutic mentally. In fact it has been a few
days since I have walked and I can REALLY tell it! There is
very little cost involved, except a good pair of shoes (very
necessary!) and headphones if you want. I even pray when
I walk -- it is my own little escape plan from everyday life.
I bought a pedometer off eBay for $5 to let me know how far I
have walked. It is pretty easy to fit in my day most of the
time. You can do it as part of your lunch hour if you work,
right when you get up in the morning, or even at dusk. Walk
with a group of friends to encourage one another." ~
Alexandra
"There are so many
alternatives to high-cost gyms and classes. Running or
walking outdoors (alone or with a friend or hubby) is free.
Biking is free, road hockey is free, or join in with the
neighborhood game of basketball. It is easy in the summer
you say, but what about when the cold weather/snow/blizzards
hit? Then there is walking at the mall if you live in
a large enough town or city. You could buy exercise videos
-- there are plenty to be found at garage sales. I would
suggest borrowing exercise videos from your local library
first in order to determine whether you like the instructor
and type of exercise before purchasing videos.
Collagevideo.com is an excellent source for videos. Borrow
fitness magazines from the library and develop your own
exercise program. For strength training dumbells can
be found inexpensively. Or you could simply use soup
cans or empty bleach bottles (washed out and filled with
some type of weighted substance). Of course, if you
haven't exercised in quite some time, you should discuss
your intentions with your doctor." ~ GG
"The current eating
plan we follow was reportedly 'too expensive' to follow
long term. BUT I've discovered that it isn't our
eating plan, but the way that some people felt they must
eat in order to follow this way of life. The plan is
actually no more expensive than our old diet and in many
ways, it's much cheaper.
Following the plan as it is written means that I do not go
in the middle aisles of a grocery at all! I follow
along the perimeters of the store buying fresh produce,
meat and dairy. Period. It is so easy to avoid
impulse purchases and temptation too, when you shop this
way.
As an added bonus, I found that if I set a certain dollar
limit on our protein products we could actually lower our
former budget! Now I have a limit of $2/pound on all
protein products. And when times are especially
tight, I can usually find many sources under $1 per pound.
As with any diet, eating plan, or regular food budget, it
is possible to save money by avoiding the additive and
preservative-laden foods and sticking with the in season,
healthier choices." ~ Terri
"My favorite frugal exercise is the rebounder. I
have read many fitness books and they all stress jumping.
So I bought a rebounder and it is easy
fun and doesn't put stress on your body. Your kids
love it too! I read a book about Rebounding and I never
realized how beneficial to your whole
body it is, and it is fun! My rebounder cost 40.00 and it
is worth every penny." ~ Pat V.
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"The most effective way to stay/get
started getting in shape is walking. The initial investment is a
decent pair of walking/sport shoes. THIS IS A MUST. If you find that
your shin muscles (in front of the leg above the ankle) start to ache
after walking, you need to replace the shoes. Most aerobic shoes are
'engineered' for only 80 hours of workout, so your toes do not have to
be poking through for the shoes to be worn out. Foot support is
so important.
When you walk for a cardiovascular (cardio/ heart healthy) workout,
start out for a 20 minute session (beginners 3-5 times a week).
Walk 10 minutes in one direction, 10 minutes back home. Walk at a pace
as if you are late for a lunch appointment and you are REALLY hungry
and trying to make it to the restaurant. (Now if you are trying to
lose weight, do not use this as an excuse to treat yourself more!) You
should feel slightly winded but still able to carry on a conversation.
Keep you hands in a lightly closed fist, elevate your arms to a 90
degree (L-shape ) position (rather than let your arms dangling down),
and push your hands forward as you move. Keep your head up and watch
the pavement 6-10 ft ahead (especially on city streets with curbs,
gravel etc..) Increase the duration by 5 minutes each week and work up
to 30 minutes.
If you live on a county road, walk around your home. Breathing in the
fresh air can really refresh you. REMEMBER: SMILE...FRESH AIR IS GOOD
FOR YOUR TEETH!" ~ Colleen in GA (certified fitness
instructor)
"I live in a large city and one
way I get free exercise is to walk everywhere. I live about 3/4 of a
mile from work and I walk to and from work every day in all weather.
On the weekends, I make it a point to get out and walk as well.
I live about one mile from the grocery store and I take my little cart
and walk to and from the store. I also put on music and do my crunches
and physical therapy exercises in my apartment. Sometimes I just
put on music and dance. We have fitness a center in my building at no
extra cost, so I sometimes use the treadmill and the recumbant
bike. Brisk walking, though, is a great help to staying in
shape. I also put music on when I am cleaning my apartment. It
helps me move more quickly and really put my body into the tasks.
As for diet, like most frugal working people I take my lunch to work
and that allows me to control my portions and not succumb to fast
food. I also bring my own snacks (veggies, fruit, and sugar-free
gelatin that I make myself and put in little round reusable containers
that are about the same size as the pre-made gelatin snacks).
For dinner, I use the palm of my hand as a measurement for my
meat/fish/poultry portion and eat a lot of vegetables, (steamed and
seasoned but with no butter, just a little lemon juice). I got a
number of recipes online from articles about the South Beach Diet (Prevention.com
has some). One of the best ideas was substitute mashed potatoes made
from steamed cauliflower, mashed with some fat free milk, seasoning,
and a little bit of margarine (the kind without the transfats).
It takes more effort to do a lot of things yourself (sometimes it's
the harder way). But by spending less time sitting in a car or worse
yet, sitting in front of the TV for a few hours, you are using and
exercising your muscles, even if you're not doing a specific fitness
plan. Basically, keep moving to help keep fit." ~ Kate in
Chicago
"I
have been working out frugally for years. Fitness doesn't have
to be expensive or time- consuming. There are two types of 'fitness':
aerobic and muscular. Ideally, your routine will
incorporate both so that you build a strong heart, endurance,
strength and a great looking body; half an hour a day, alternating
workouts between aerobic and muscular should cover all your
bases. You will have to make a small investment in equipment:
free weights (a set of 3lb, 5lb and 8lb weights will last a long
time), the proper shoes for your aerobic exercise (don't use them
for anything else and they'll last a long time) and a no-bounce
sports bra if you are female.
Fast
walking, jogging and running are the cheapest aerobic exercises.
Borrow books from the library to ensure you are getting the most out
of your workout. Start off slowly: your first goal is to walk
through your entire exercise session; then intersperse your walk
with short jogs/race-walks, until you can do the whole session at
full speed. Once you can run the whole way, build in interval
training. Stretch after each session (good sources of stretching
exercises are aerobics videos - look for those by Kathy Smith - again,
borrow from the library).
For
weight training, go to the library and browse through back copies of
Shape magazine. At least once a year, they publish
weight-training workouts to do at home. (Self used to do
this, too.) Photocopy as many of the workouts as you can, then
every three months swap to a different workout to alleviate
boredom/test your muscles in a new way. Instead of a weight bench, put
a thick cushion from your couch on the floor (the purpose of the
bench is to give your arms clearance). Start off with your lowest
weights and build up slowly. Do a warm-up (jogging on the spot
for 5 minutes is good), and cool down with stretching exercises.
Also look for workouts by Joyce Vedral, Kathy Smith and Bill
Phillips (in both book and video format); borrow them from the
library until you find one you love and can't live without.
I work
out first thing in the morning, so that it gets done and nothing can
interrupt me. This is also the safest time of the day for exercising
out of doors, if you live in a high crime area." ~ Pam
"A few years ago I was going to
physical therapy. I needed to strengthen my one leg due to an
injury. Instead of buying weights I put one pound cans in two
(2) cloth (you can use plastic or paper) bags that I tied
together. I placed a bag on either side of my leg and did leg
lifts. I use cans instead of weights to strengthen my arms.
I put a can in each hand and do curls and other strengthening
exercises. If you have small hands, put them in a small purse
and do the exercises. For that matter you can use stones or
anything that will give resistance when moved. I use rubber
bands to strengthen my fingers.
While watching TV, I stand up and stretch to keep me limber.
Then I dance especially if any type of music comes on. You can also
walk in
place during the commercials (especially during the ones 3-5 minutes
long). I live on the second floor. I use the stairs (no elevator)
but to get more exercise I separate my chores. For instance I
take out the trash then I bring back my trash can and then go get my
mail. I also
park my car then walk to the mail room rather than stopping there on
the way to my parking space. (Saves on gas and wear and tear
as well on the car.) Park your car at the far end of the
parking lot. You must walk further (more exercise) but there is less
likelihood of damage from carts or other cars as well (another added
bonus). Or if you live close walk and use a pull cart to bring home
your packages. When I lived in PA, I would walk to the grocery
store bring home a grocery cart full of weekly purchases and no
later than 2 days later I would buy milk and bread leave the cart
and carry home these groceries. The store never
minded as I returned my cart or reused it. When I could afford
one, I bought a pull cart which I used to haul my laundry to the
laundromat a few blocks away and for shopping." ~ CSINBAD
"I have been working out for
several months now by using a stability ball that costs me about $20
(they are even less expensive now) and two hand weights of 5 Lbs.
each and a $8.00 jump rope. I can stengthen and tone every area of
my body with this equipment and also get my heart rate up to burn
fat by using the jump rope in between my sets. The ball came with a
workout sheet and I just follow it and incorporate the jump rope in
between. I stay tone and fit and still have money in my
pocket. God revealed this idea to me and it is working.
He is a good God! Amen!" ~ Debbie
"Increase your steps.
Park further away from the store, take the stairs instead of the
elevator, walk to the post office or any errands less than 8 blocks
away, walk the dog a little longer." ~ Sara
Editor's Note: Thanks to everyone who took the time to share
his or her ideas!
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