On Tuesday, I said I’d cover how to fulfill common New Year’s resolutions without spending too much – or anything at all. Yesterday, I talked about how to help others without spending anything – and today I’m going to cover another common resolution – losing weight. I’m actually going to cover this in 2 parts – how to exercise without spending a lot, and how to eat well without breaking the bank.
Here are some great ideas on how to exercise without spending anything or not much extra:
- Walk. As long as you have shoes or boots, you’re all set. I’m lucky – I work in downtown Toronto, and I can go for short or long walks using the underground PATH there. It’s a great break from work, and gets me out of the office. I just make sure I don’t take my wallet along so I won’t be tempted to buy anything. I realize not everyone is lucky enough to have a “PATH” option, but shopping malls (again, don’t bring the wallet) or even a large department store can be a good place to get out and walk.
- See what you already have at home. I have a treadmill, a Wii fit, and a Kinnect with “Just Dance”. My sister in law has taken to using exercise tapes, and also suggested you can find videos on You Tube. I’ve put my gym membership on hold to see if I have the self discipline to start using all the stuff I already own – I feel silly paying for a gym membership when I have plenty of stuff at home.
- Skate, toboggan, make a snow angel. I own skates, and there’s a free local skating rink open during day light hours. It tends to be busy, but hey, it’s free! Using out door equipment you own or just getting out and playing in the snow is a great way to exercise. So is shoveling snow, but it’s not much fun.
- Dance. Yup. I know it’s sounds silly, but I know someone who swears they lost the baby weight by just cranking up the tunes and dancing around the house.
What are your ways to exercise without spending anything extra?
Good ideas! I think walking has got to be one of the easiest and cheapest forms of exercise. When we don’t have a foot of snow on the ground (like we do now) we love to go for walks. We live in a pretty hilly neighborhood so it can make it quite a nice little workout.
John S @ Frugal Rules recently posted..Why I Don’t Believe in New Year’s Resolutions
Yup. I try to get out for a walk each day and drag a coworker with me.
Do your own housework/yardwork – it’s great exercise, free and saves you the money you might spend having someone else do it!
Marie at FamilyMoneyValues recently posted..Becoming a Family of Wealth
Yes, that’s what I tell myself when I’m cleaning – which I hate!
I was going to say, scrubbing my bath tub is the best arm/shoulder workout I’ve done!
MissAmanda recently posted..DECEMBER RECAP
Although we have a treadmill and a bunch of other equipment at home I also go out for walks and runs every single day. You don’t need to have a gym membership to get fit especially if you don’t think you will go as often as you like or there are other obstacles in the way. It’s much easier to work out at home if you have kids for example. Great tips! Mr.CBB
Canadian Budget Binder recently posted..Finances In The New Year + New Budget = Success Formula
Yes, if you have kids, it’s much easier not to have to leave the house!
You can find pretty much anything on Youtube these days lol. Even yoga training videos. My favorite exercise is burpees because you can do them pretty much anywhere in your home and it’s a great cardio workout without having to go outside
Of course I also like to mix it up with some pushups and situps.
Liquid recently posted..Fiscal Update – Dec 2012
Hmmm..I’ll have to look into that. I’m not familiar with it.