When money is tight, a gym membership is out of the question. So how do you keep fit without all the fancy equipment?
It really isn’t that hard. Easiest of all is to simply get out and walk! Take some time at least every other morning or afternoon and take the whole family for a walk. If your children are small, put them in a stroller or pull them in a wagon, so you can walk for more than five minutes at a time. You could also do family bicycle rides or go skating together.
A pedometer doesn’t cost much and can be used to motivate you to walk more. Find out how much you walk each day, then set a goal at least 25% higher. Keep increasing your goal as it becomes easier to do a given amount of walking.
Too hot or cold to go outside for exercise? Dance! Turn on the radio to your favorite station and dance along. If you’re shy about this one, you can just close the blinds and do it when the kids are napping and no one else is home, but odds are small children will love to join in. You could also dance to the commercials or shows on TV if you prefer.
Cleaning the house is another great form of exercise. Do some of those details you don’t do often, or skip the dishwasher and do all the dishes by hand.
You can use just about anything around the house for weights. Exercise your arm muscles while holding cans of food.
Start a garden each spring. Not only does the food taste better than anything you can buy at the grocery store, but it’s also great exercise to take care of it. Keep up with the weeding, watering, and harvesting, and you’ll have not only gotten some good exercise, but you’ll have some great food to cook.
Don’t forget the basics, such as sit-ups, which don’t require any special equipment. Crunches, stretches, pushups, and leg lifting exercises are also easily done at home.
Working out at home has some advantages too. You never have to worry about finding a parking space, waiting for a shower, or finding someone to take care of the kids for you. It’s a great way to get your kids interested in exercise too. If you can find exercise you enjoy, it will be easy to encourage your kids to join you.
