Fitness on a Budget
There are a lot of people experiencing tough financial times. Now more than ever, people need to take care of their health to offset stress that comes with life's challenges. Money does not need to play a factor in preventing you from reaching your fitness goals. Below you will find a number of tips for money saving fitness activities that will ensure you keep on track, no matter what your bank account looks like.
Exercise
Buy used equipment
Everybody knows that there are endless houses out there with exercise equipment that is either gathering dust, acting as a clothes hanger or tucked under someone’s bed. Your first move when buying home exercise equipment should be to look to the classifieds, eBay, Craig’s list, garage sales or other sources to buy equipment at a fraction of what you’d pay for it new.
Buy dumbbells and a bench
With dumbbells and a bench, you can easily complete a full weight lifting program, such as the one found here. To save money, purchase the dumbbells that allow you to add and remove plates. This will cost significantly less than buying ones that have a set weight.
Free Exercise DVD’s
When was the last time you’ve used your local public library. In case you don’t know, most libraries have a vast array of exercise DVD’s. What could be better than having an entire collection of exercise DVD’s for free?
Jump Rope
Not only does a rope cost very little, but it’s also a great cardio workout that you can do almost anywhere.
Body Weight Workouts
Push ups, lunges, sit ups, dips, close grip push ups, planks, etc. With the right intensity and technique, there are numerous exercises you can do that requires only you and a floor.
Running
Of course, everyone knows running is a great cardio workout. It’s also free, if you have a good pair of shoes.
Share costs with friends
If you can workout at home, find a workout partner and chip in together to purchase the equipment or swap exercise DVD’s.
Exercise bands
You can perform a good amount of exercises with bands and you can easily adjust the amount of tension.
Share a personal trainer
Some personal trainers will train more than one client at a time, which should result in a lesser cost to each person.
Take advantage of trial memberships Many fitness centres will often offer trial memberships for non-members. Seek these out and take advantage of the use of great facilities.
Nutrition
Buy your food in bulk
Large bags of chicken breasts, large boxes of pasta, eggs and other food is significantly cheaper at stores like Costco and Sam’s Club. Plan well and purchase the food you know you’ll finish.
Don’t eat out
Not only do you ensure you eat better when you make your own food, but you also save a lot of money.
Buy your supplements online
For the most part, supplements are cheaper when you buy them online from sites such as bodybuilding.com and wholesalesupplementstore.com.
Avoid junk food
There is often no nutritional or health benefit to junk food, so why waste your money on it? Focus on eating the clean, whole foods that will help you reach your fitness goals.
Don’t pay full price for meat
Meat can be frozen upon purchase, so only buy meat that’s on sale. Doing so, there’s no risk of it going bad and you’ll be saving money every time.
Buy no name brands
If you must buy packaged goods, buy no name or generic brands. They’re cheaper and most often the same quality as the branded versions.
Eat your leftovers
If you buy food, the last thing you want to do is throw it away. Make sure you get the most of your investment.
Getting in great shape doesn’t need to cost you and arm and a leg. With some concerted effort, planning and adaptation, you can reach your fitness goals, even when you may not have a lot of resources to do so. Start with these tips for money saving ideas to help you tighten your belt while you tighten your belt.