How to Stay Fit on a Budget

by: Sheryl Nance-Nash
The Faster Times
December 24, 2009


If you’re like many people, you vow to get in shape around this time every year- and find a way to break the vow somewhere between the Rose Bowl and Valentine’s Day. Well, make your own excuses. But after reading this, you’ll have to let go of the idea that working out is too expensive. Working out should shrink your waistline, not your wallet. Here’s how to do it on the cheap.

Cash in on broken promises

Idle workout equipment needn’t remind you of broken promises: it can look like a fresh start. If you have a bench or LifeCycle in your basement, treat it as a free starter kit: if you need to buy one, scoop somebody else’s discarded treadmill or rower on Craigslist or eBay. “If you make smart purchases, a basic home gym can be set up for under $100 and allow you to perform dozens of exercises,” says Brad Schoenfeld, author, Women’s Home Workout Bible.

Go for the video. For even lower expenses, buy about $60 worth of exercise DVDs- or pay nothing to borrow them from the library. “Get a group of friends together to swap tapes weekly to keep it interesting and your body guessing,” says Mackey McNeill, president of Mackey Advisors CPA’s & Wealth Advisors. You can use a video console to work out with friends. EA Sports Active is a $60 customizable, fitness video game created for the Wii that claims to get your heart pumping in just 20 minutes a day.

If you want to expend some shoe leather, you can probably find a free gym or track in your town- at the high school, perhaps, or in an apartment complex that hasn’t sold out its units. “Ask around town,” says Jenny Realo, executive vice president of CareOne Services, a debt relief services provider. You may also find walking or running groups. “Your chances of success are higher if you have someone keeping check on your workout goals,” adds Realo.

If you have your heart set on joining a gym, now is a good time to look for a membership as there are deals waiting on all those who are making the same resolution to get in shape. You can cut the cost of a personal trainer by sharing one. Ask around at clubs that offer personal training if they have small group arrangements. Be smart. Shop around. Don’t be afraid to negotiate. Gyms need members in a recession, as sorely as you need discipline.

Run baby run. Of course, exercise can be free. For little more than the price of running shoes you can run just about anywhere. If winter weather is an issue, you can always do brisk walks in a mall if you do so at hours where there isn’t likely to be a crowd. Just don’t stop to shop!

Find places to add extra walking time, whether it be the distance you park your car at the grocery store or the daily commute to work. “It can also be as easy as adding 10 to 15 minutes extra to the daily walk you have with your pet. A 30-minute walk can shed up to 200 calories,” says Realo.

Take the stairs at work and make it a challenge with your co-workers. “Who can take the stairs the most times in a week or a month?” says McNeill.

That’s right: fitness happens, in 2010, one step at a time. Good luck!