5 ways to stay fit without a gym membership

Feb 102013

February 10, 2013 Posted by Rose Overbey Health & Beauty

Gym memberships can be expensive, but they often can seem like the most effective way to stay in shape.

There are other options though. Over the past year, I have realized I can stay fit on the cheap, without a pricey gym membership. Below are some ideas about how to stay fit without blowing your budget.

Get moving outside. Right now it’s cold in many parts of the country, but a nice brisk walk outside can be incredibly refreshing. If you’re lucky and live somewhere warm, you can get out any time of year.

On-Demand fitness videos. If it truly is too cold to get outside — or there are dangerous conditions like ice or snow — stay inside and work out with free fitness videos. If you have a cable or satellite package, you likely have a wide selection of on-demand fitness videos that offer a variety of workouts from yoga to kick-boxing. You can also select a program based on how much time you have.

Your cellphone. If you have a smartphone, you can get free apps from a variety of companies, including Women’s Health, that offer workout ideas and moves. I like Women’s Health Hot Body Yoga. It offers workouts for any skill level and time-frame. There are other apps that track your movement during the day and can compute how many calories you’ve burned performing your usual routines. The best thing about using your phone is that you always have a workout on hand. Some of the better programs may cost a couple dollars, but $2.99 is still less than any gym membership.

Scout out LivingSocial, Groupon and other daily deals for fitness bargains. The Daily Deals section on many of the sites in the Living on the Cheap network are a really easy and quick way to round up all of the bargains in the area. Last year, I found a month’s worth of classes and workouts at a gym for only $20, a package of 30 classes at a yoga studio for $25, and — my personal favorite — a massage and classes at a swanky gym for only $50.

Local free facilities such as public pools, fields and tennis courts. These are great places to work out. My city has a number of excellent indoor pools that offer free programs. Our local libraries even offer free yoga classes.

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Rose Overbey

Rose Overbey worked her way up at a boutique public relations firm in Washington, D.C., from junior writer to director of business development. She's worked with national brands and on executive-level ghostwriting projects. In mid-2012, she acted on an urge to pursue a career in teaching and now teaches kindergarten at a Title 1 school in the District of Columbia. Despite the career switch, Rose still freelances regularly. Rose has also been published in The Washington Post. She loves to take advantage of all the good deals the D.C. area has to offer — and refuses to pay full price for anything. She owns and operates Washington D.C. On The Cheap.

One Response to “5 ways to stay fit without a gym membership”

Shari says:

February 10, 2013 at 4:06 pm

Also check YouTube. Tons of (free) fitness videos there!

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