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Anyone can find more ways to exercise despite their budgets. Here are free and frugal ways to get fitter.
Image source: Getty Images
You don’t need an expensive gym membership — or equally expensive athleisure gear — to get fit. There’s room in anyone’s personal finances for exercise. Here are just a few examples of frugal (or even free) ways to add more fitness to your life.
1. Walking
As long as you are able-bodied, you don’t really need anything special to start walking. Your everyday sneakers — so long as they fit well — will generally work just fine at the beginning.
You don’t need anywhere special to walk to, either. You can walk around your house. You can walk in your yard. You can walk through the neighborhood. If there’s a park nearby, you can walk there. If it’s cold outside, go to the local mall and walk. (You don’t need open stores to get your steps in.)
If you think walking is boring, walk with a friend. Or do what I do: Listen to an audiobook. (You can usually get these free from the local library!) As long as safety isn’t an issue, you could even watch videos on your phone while you walk.
Start small and work your way up. My 90-year-old neighbor walks two blocks and back every day.
Any exercise is better than no exercise.
2. Body-weight exercises
All that extra weight you’re trying to ditch? Use it to lose it!
There are tons of exercises you can do that don’t require any equipment. This includes both cardio exercises as well as strength training that uses the weight of your body for resistance. Here are just a few examples:
CrunchesPush-upsPlanksSquatsLungesJumping jacks
You can find free fitness apps and YouTube channels full of great at-home workouts you can do with no or minimal equipment.
3. Stretching or yoga
Flexibility is a key part of overall fitness, but it’s one many of us forget to focus on. A regular stretching routine can increase your range of motion, posture, blood flow, and may even help reduce back pain. (Anyone else resemble Quasimodo after a few hours at their desk?)
You don’t need an expensive yoga class for this, however. There are tons of online resources, videos, and apps that offer free guided yoga and stretching routines. If you can’t find one you like, build individual poses and stretches into your own full-body workout.
Oh, and you don’t need the fancy yoga mats or socks or pants. As long as your footing is secure, you’re good to go on the living room carpet in whatever pants are comfortable and stretchy.
4. Household weightlifting
When body weight alone isn’t cutting it, do some household weightlifting.
No, I don’t just mean lifting weights at home. I mean finding “weights” around your house that you can add to your workouts.
Ever lifted one of those bulk-sized bottles of detergent from Costco? One of those in each hand while doing squats will definitely kick it up a notch! And you may have already found that a four-legged family member jumping on your back adds a noticeable degree of difficulty to a plank.
Not quite up for that much weight? Start by curling cans of tomato sauce. (Note: There are 16 ounces in a pound.) Then you can graduate to wine bottles (they average 2.65 pounds). When you’re ready for the big leagues, those gallon jugs of water weigh about 8.34 pounds a piece!
5. Resistance bands
Essentially giant rubber rands, resistance bands can be added to your workout in myriad ways. Here are a just a few exercises perfect for resistance bands:
Lateral band walkPlantar flexionClamshellStanding abductionTriceps kickbackPull apart
You can get a surprisingly thorough workout with these giant rubber bands, and they’re really affordable. Amazon will sell you a five-pack of different strengths for less than $15.
6. Running or hiking
While generally free activities, running, hiking, and even long-distance walking require the extra investment of a good pair of shoes. Not just so-so shoes, but good shoes. (And yes, it often helps to get shoes designed specifically for the type of exercise.)
Bad shoes can hurt not only your feet, but also your ankles, knees, hips, and back.
I’ve often had good luck finding deals on last year’s shoe models, which aren’t generally all that different from the latest model in terms of functionality (or even style for that matter). And don’t assume Amazon will have the best deal; often, I get better prices straight from the manufacturer’s website.
Also, always check your credit card issuer’s deal portals. I’ve found deals from Brooks, Asics, and more on my rewards credit cards. You can also check coupon apps and discount sites for additional deals. Rebates from cash back apps, like Rakuten, typically stack with credit card portals and rewards.
Getting fit doesn’t cost a fortune
When you look at the health stats, it’s obvious that we, as a society, can no longer afford not to exercise. Thankfully, it’s possible to add more fitness to your life no matter what your budget looks like. Use these tips as inspiration to build your own workout routine. It doesn’t matter if it’s fancy or frugal. Just get moving.
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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Brittney Myers has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
