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continued:
Fitness for less: 4 low-cost ways to shape up
3. Improvise
If you'd rather not spend a penny on exercise equipment, use ordinary household items for various upper and lower body exercises:
- Canned goods. Many canned goods can serve double duty as hand weights.
- Milk or water jugs. Fill empty milk or water jugs with water or sand and secure the tops with duct tape. To adjust the weights as your fitness level changes, simply add more water or sand. If you wonder how much weight you're lifting, weigh the jug on your household scale.
- Step stools. A low, sturdy step stool can become exercise equipment if you use it for step training — an aerobic exercise resembling stair climbing.
4. Be a savvy shopper
If you're interested in a specific exercise class or piece of equipment, shop around.
- Check out your local recreation department. Many recreation departments offer discounted fitness classes to local residents. If you live near a high school or college with a fitness center, ask if the facility is available to community members.
- Buy used equipment. Some sporting goods stores specialize in used equipment — or you can check out listings for exercise equipment in the local newspaper. You may also find great deals on used exercise equipment online. Just make sure the cost of shipping won't put the item out of your budget.
- Share costs with a friend. Trade exercise videos or DVDs with a friend so that neither of you gets bored doing the same workout over and over again. Find a personal trainer who'll let you share the cost of a session with a friend or two.
- Know what to avoid. Some fitness products aren't worth buying, no matter how low the price. For example, don't buy herbal supplements or other products that claim fitness benefits overnight or promise to melt away pounds without diet and exercise.
Remember, getting in shape doesn't need to be expensive. Don't get caught up in memberships or purchases you can't afford. Instead, concentrate on your fitness goals — and how to achieve them without breaking your budget.
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- Physical activity and your heart: Getting started and staying active. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/phys/phys_started.html. Accessed May 3, 2010.
- 2008 physical activity guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/default.aspx. Accessed May 3, 2010.
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