With summer just around the corner, many of us are looking to get in better shape as we prepare to spend our weekends off having fun in the sun. But between work, school and additional responsibilities, not only is our time limited but also many of us are on tight budgets making it difficult to pay for exercise memberships. Even those that manage to invest in a membership, if you do not utilize it more than three times a week then it is arguably not worth it.
Thankfully, there are alternatives that do not include simply running down the street (although that is one great option!).
Online Training
There are a plethora of opportunities for you to workout from the comfort of your own home without having to be locked-in to a contract, spend money on gas or spend time sitting in traffic, potentially missing the gym class you signed up for. If you are interested in yoga and meditation, there are sites like DoYogaWithMe that offer excellent free tutorials to get you started. Their interactive videos have you feeling like you’re on the shores of Tahiti lengthening your spine in the crescent pose. If you are looking for a more grueling workout, try The Fitness Blender, which offers countless free videos focusing on building muscle and burning fat.
Browse Around
There are deals to be had everywhere. Most yoga studios and even some gyms offer curious people an opportunity to sample their services before trying to lock anyone into a hard commitment. For example, most yoga studios offer students the opportunity to do unlimited yoga for two or three weeks for only $30 (YogaWorks, which has studios all over Southern California, offers new students two weeks of unlimited yoga for $25). These are great deals. You can take advantage of opportunities like that in your city and neighboring cities and constantly rotate studios based on which ones are offering new student deals. And if you eventually find a studio or gym that interests you, then maybe you can sign-up for a membership. Until then, sample, sample, sample!
Getting Outside
This is the obvious alternative to a gym membership but it always works. Making a schedule each week that includes spending time working on yourself, including weekly exercise, is important to alleviate stress and enhance your focus. If running is too difficult or too painful, try power walking. This is already a part of everyday life and research shows it is an excellent way to burn fat. Even if you just introduce a 10-minute walk into your daily schedule, you will start to notice differences in all areas of your life. Going for hikes on the weekends, swimming at your city pool during public hours, taking a dip in the ocean and doing a few laps when it gets warmer, dedicating yourself to doing push-ups and sit-ups before bedtime…whatever is most appealing and works best for you, do it!
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