When I started out on my long and arduous quest for weight loss, I had little to no money to spend on luxuries. I was a single mother with two children who had to work full-time to pay the bills and I struggled every single month to stay within my budget. In fact, it’s a sad fact that most months I was forced to delve into my overdraft which brought along with it an extortionate interest rate. Added to that was a daily battle with my weight which left me both financially and emotionally poor. I would have loved to have been able to join a local gym that would give me access to the latest technology for maximum weight loss and fitness. It’s common knowledge however that gym membership can be a very expensive way of losing weight and keeping fit which meant that this option was a mere dream that would never be fulfilled for me. If money in your household is limited you will know exactly how difficult it is to budget for this payment when you have urgent, pressing financial commitments that must take priority. There is no need to stress however because lack of money forced me to be more creative and I am happy to share with you several activities that will let you exercise for free! By the way, they’re all environmentally friendly pieces of advice too so a great win-win whichever way you look at it.
- Walking – This is my favourite one because it’s so accessible and can have a huge impact on your level of fitness. If you are really unhealthy at the moment, this is perfect for you because you can start by taking really small walks and slowly build up the length and speed of your walk as your fitness levels increase.
- Take the stairs instead of the escalator or lift – It’s very tempting when faced with an option such as this and most people will unconsciously take the easy route. From now on make it your business to always take the stairs whenever the opportunity arises.
- Cycle to work – This is obviously only an option if you live close enough to be able to do that. If you do, then this is a fantastic way to increase your stamina and lose weight. You will also save money by not having to use public transport.
- Get off the bus, train, tube a stop early – Again, we subconsciously choose to use the nearest stop to our journey’s end but just one stop early could see your fitness levels improve. You may even find that the fare is cheaper too!
- Do your housework – This will benefit you twofold; firstly, you will end up with a clean house and secondly you will have exercised without even realizing it!
- Gardening – Cutting the grass, weeding the flower beds, pruning, dead heading flowers etc are all great ways to exercise that will also leave you with a garden to admire.
So, next time you find yourself feeling sorry for yourself because you can’t afford that gym membership, I hope the above will get you motivated enough to try out some these free ways to get fit!!
Written by Sherry Taylor
Author of The Anti-Diet Lifestyle
