I don’t need to remind everyone about the state of the American global economy.
I’m sure you all have felt the effort somehow, either at the pumps, in your pockets, or even through your home.
Don’t let the effects show up in your belly, butt, thighs, wherever.
How can you do that, especially since in times like this one of the first things to go are the gym and fitness center memberships?
Well, if it’s possible, rearrange your budget to include your gym, and instead take out those 3 lattes you get every single day. Or maybe the daily fast food excursions could get the boot.
But what if you have to let that membership go and there is no cheaper alternative, such as no local YMCAs or other community gyms? (Remember, the YMCA and community gyms are highly viable options; they may not be as flashy as those big commercial gyms, but you don’t chose your gym based on flash, right?)
If you don’t have a gym, that is not an excuse to let your fitness progress lapse or to throw away those fitness goals.
In case that was not clear, I will repeat myself. Not having a gym to go to is not an excuse to let your fitness progress lapse or to throw away those fitness goals. Nor does it excuse you from starting a new fitness program!
So what can you do?
Well, the last time I checked, walking is free. So is running.
So many people overlook the value of walking. They say, “Jay, I walk everyday! I walk to the bathroom, to the kitchen, to my car, to the boss’ office, to the vending machine, blah blah blah!”
Yeah, but what are you doing for the other 23.5 hours in the day when you aren’t walking to such places?
So try walking around your neighborhood, or around the community where you work. Walk upright, with a decent pace, and switch up the pace throughout your walk. Walk up and down hills. Challenge yourself and work your way up to jogging, then running.
If you choose a walk that passes a park, guess what you now have? An instant outdoor gym! And for free!
Monkey bars can act as pullup bars, and if you swing from them, you can get a killer core workout.
You can easily do dips and pushups on park benches.
Jumping jacks are free, too. And a jump rope isn’t expensive, yet is an extremely effective fat-loss and conditioning tool.
You can do plenty of burpees in a park!
But what if it’s raining? Again, a jump rope can come in handy, if your ceilings are high enough and if no one lives under you. If you have stairs in your house, run sets of stairs. Play with your kids.
Buy a pack of inexpensive exercise tubes! You can do just about anything with tubes that you do with machines or free weights.
There are endless possibilities, but my point is clear: a bad economy is not an acceptable excuse for being a slacker. Period.
Any more tips for staying fit in this economy?
This is such an inspiring post. The economy has definitely forced me to think about what I eat in depth, and I’ve switched over from packaged and fast foods to buying bulk foods.. almonds, chicken breasts, tuna, black beans, even veggies in bulk and cooking up everything for the week on sunday. It’s so cheap! So tasty! And it melts the fat right off.
In Michigan here they are building a lot of walking/biking trails along the highways, and converting old rail lines into trails. Even though it will snow here soon, it’s so easy to set up a resistance band as a treadmill in the house, or even practice some plyometric exercises! I set up some heavy landscaping blocks as my step and am jumping on and off it like a little kid. On the way home the other day I saw a lady in her sixties or seventies out mowing her lawn, and she was in incredible shape. If she can stay fit and healthy out in the boonies where we have no decent health clubs, what excuse does anyone else have?
Wow! Thank you for your comment! Healthy food doesn’t have to be expensive, just like you have shown us. And you’re right, if an old lady can stay in shape, well, you know where I’m going with this!
This is awesome. There are SO many ways we can stay healthy on a budget! Love the walking everywhere. And you don’t even need to buy cheap dumbbells; you can use soup cans and such if you REALLY don’t want to spend any money on it. A rug or carpet can act as a yoga mat, and there’s plenty of workout videos available online once you start looking around.
Maybe a bad economy is good for the creative juices in getting us thinking about how we can save money?
Ooooooooh, your point of the soupcans is great! Everyone has cans in their house! Youtube is a great resource for free workouts and ideas, but just be careful to take the time to weed through them. Look for videos where there are clear cues and explanations on how to properly do the exercise and what the exercise is for. Thanks Sagan
very nice blog well put
http://www.blackfitnessblog.com
Thanks for visiting and for the comment! Come back soon
I totally agree that healthy food doesn’t need to be expensive. Recycling our left over foods on the refrigerator is a great idea, you just have to be creative in preparing those foods. If you think going to the gym is the answer for you to have a great body then be it, but if you think you have to save for more important thing, there re lot of home exercises that can be done. Think of jumping rope, jogging or even gardening or just by walking.
Hey, I enjoyed reading your blog, thanks for sharing your knowledge.
-John
Thanks for commenting and reading John! I love left over food. Sometimes it’s even better than eating it the first time