Budget-Friendly Ways to Stay Fit Without a Gym Membership
Many people want to get fitter and more active on a daily basis. However, not everyone can afford a gym membership or access affordable classes. Here are a few budget-friendly ways to get fit without needing a gym membership.
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Walking/Running
Pulling on your women’s running shoes and hitting the park or trail is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to stay fit. Running and walking are completely free and are some of the best aerobic exercises for getting fit and losing weight.
It is also easy to challenge yourself by changing the terrain, training for a half- or full-marathon, or something in between.
Yoga
Yoga is a brilliant, low-impact exercise that can improve flexibility, aerobic strength, body strength, and breathing. It is also ideal for both beginners and seasoned gym enthusiasts.
The best part of yoga is that you can easily step it up a notch as you grow stronger and more flexible. You can easily do yoga for many years and not reach the ceiling of the improvements you can make.
Bodyweight Exercises
You can do plenty of bodyweight exercises without a single piece of equipment, plus many more exercises you can do by using things around the house. It is also easy to start, as a routine containing push-ups, squats, and sit-ups is all you need.
You can also increase the difficulty and do many more exercises using chairs, couches, countertops, etc. A quick YouTube search will also give you all the information you need to do bodyweight workouts at home using your furniture.
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Resistance Bands
While not free, resistance bands are very affordable and can offer a wide variety of workouts. When you purchase bands of different strengths, you can also work muscles on your level and improve.
If you spend a little bit more money, you can buy a resistance band kit that includes handles for arm workouts and a door anchor that allows you to do back and shoulder workouts at home, too.
Pull-Up Bar
A simple pull-up bar is all you need if you want to do more advanced workouts and test your strength even more. A pull-up bar is one of the best and cheapest pieces of equipment to give you a complete upper-body and torso workout..
You can also purchase a pull-up bar that hooks onto a door frame or can be put in a door frame, meaning they are ideal for those who can’t screw a bar onto their wall or don’t have the space to do so.
Dumbbell Workouts
Dumbbells are another very affordable piece of equipment that allows you to do a range of exercises. With dumbbells, you can work out your arms, shoulders, chest, back, abs, and legs.
Once again, you can buy a dumbbell set with multiple weight plates, allowing you to adjust the weight to your needs and not be forced to buy multiple dumbbell sets of varying weights and sizes.
YouTube Workouts
Whether you want to do bodyweight workouts, yoga, or aerobics, YouTube is packed with countless videos and routines that you can workout to. In simple terms, YouTube is a personal trainer that you can access for free.
Another huge benefit of using these videos and channels is that they also often offer diet plans and meals for free, allowing you to create a holistic health and fitness plan without spending a dime.
Park Gyms
While not common or available in every part of the world, park gyms are becoming more and more popular. These free-to-use gyms typically contain a variety of machines and equipment that use your body weight to allow you to work out.
Once again, these gyms are almost always completely free to use, and you can easily get a full-body and effective workout using all the machines available.
Sport
Finally, sport is another brilliant way to get and stay fit, and there are plenty you can do without spending much, if any money. The first is swimming, with public pools being free or very affordable to use on a regular basis.
Many cities also have public basketball courts or soccer fields that you can use to play a few games with your friends and family. All you need is to invest in a ball, which can be found for very low prices across the web.
You can also do plenty of physical activities that only require a small investment to get the equipment. You can purchase a volleyball net for your garden, a frisbee for fun at the beach, or even a pair of rollerblades, as rollerblading is fun and excellent aerobic exercise.
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As you can see, getting and staying fit does not require a gym membership, and in many cases doesn’t require any money at all. As long as you do the research, you can easily get into the best shape of your life without spending a single cent.