Getting rid of the flab and improving your overall health doesn’t have to come with a hefty cost. Here’s how to get on the right path to fitness while keeping to a budget.
The costs of getting fit can be extensive, once you consider not only ongoing fees like gym memberships but also the many and varied bits of equipment and clothing that it’s suggested you must have, even if you’re only exercising from home.
However, that must should be taken with a massive, Everest-sized grain of salt. It’s certainly true that gym membership is exactly what some folks need to get motivated, but it’s not for everybody.
Likewise, just because you spend a fortune on a new at-home gym rack, weights or machines doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll wake up with a six pack that would make a young Schwarzenegger do a double take.
It’s entirely feasible to gear up for better fitness on a budget. In these tightened times, why spend more on your fitness than you really need to?
What to consider in a fitness budget
The key aspect beyond how much you’ve actually got to spend is the kind of result you’re looking for, and a certain degree of knowledge about your own psychological makeup when it comes to exercise. If you’re a social exerciser, but gym membership fees are too much or it’s not easy to get to the gym, consider investing in a good pair of sneakers and hitting the local pavement with a small group of friends or family members. You’ll still get your social sweat on and maintain that motivation without having that monthly hit to your credit card for gym fees.
Running outside is essentially free, but for many of us the outside world isn’t where we want folks to see us at our flabbiest and sweatiest worst. You’ll need to sort out what kind of space you’ve got to dedicate to exercise, and what results you’re looking for.
This doesn’t have to be a large space or even its own distinct room if you’re happy to pack away your exercise gear as part of your cool down routine. At the same time, trying to count squats while the clothes dryer rattles next to you or the kids pester you about their homework is rarely conducive to the best results.
Cheap home gym essentials
Fitness Passion 15mm Yoga Mat $22.88
Yoga itself is an exceptionally good workout but a yoga mat can also be the basis for any number of additional exercises, while also allowing you to clearly and safely define your exercise area so that other household inhabitants don’t intrude on your space while you’re working out.
Gana Professional Jump Rope $9.68
If you’re after high cardio exercise – and cardio work should be part of your routine, period – then a skipping rope workout is an easy and highly affordable bit of home gym kit, with the added benefit of being easy to pack away when you’re done.
Meteor Essential Solid Cast Iron Kettlebell $75.90
Kettlebell workouts can improve your entire body, and they can be had for quite low prices while still giving you that full workout.
Ohderii Resistance Band Set $30.49
If you don’t have the budget or the space for a full weight set, a resistance band set can provide much the same workout, as well as giving you a range of exercises that can tone your core and improve your strength. Again, they’re also good for folks who want equipment they can use and then pack away when done. Odherii’s set provides a range of resistances and clips to enable a wide range of exercises even in the smallest spaces.
Black Mountain Products 2000lbs Static Strength Exercise Stability Ball $23.92 – $43.02
The range of exercises you can do with an exercise/stability/Swiss ball is quite varied and they’re a great and highly affordable way to expand your at-home gym equipment. They’re also truly multi-purpose devices, because when you’re not using them for gym work, they can also double as a superior alternative to the traditional office chair.
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