It’s January, so most people are busy setting New Year’s resolutions and deciding how they will change their lives for the better. This often involves setting goals to get healthier and more fit which is why gym membership rates rise early in the year and fitness centers make a killing.
If you want to lose weight or get back in shape this year, you don’t have to sign up for an expensive gym membership to meet those goals. Motivation and dedicated are the main two elements required for fitness goals and that starts with you.
As long as you have motivation and are committed to your goals, you can try some of these free ways to help you get fit without ever having to spend money or step foot into a gym.
Walk or Run each Day
Running is one of the simplest ways to lose weight and get in shape
While some of us are thinking about what gift you’re going to pick up for impossible Uncle Joe for Christmas, a lot of us are thinking about what type of medical coverage to go with next year without having to spend an arm and a leg.
If you’re just getting started or don’t like to run much, you can try taking walks every other day or running for a few minutes per day and finishing off with a lengthy walk.
According to Medicine.net, walking can help prevent diabetes, strengthen your heart, help maintain your bones and reduce the risk of breast cancer so there are many additional benefits you’ll gain just by taking 15 minutes out of your day to walk and run.
Check Out Free Videos and Workouts Online
The internet has a plethora of free resources when it comes to exercise and fitness. If you feel like you need a little instruction and miss the group fitness classes offered at your local gym, you can always head to YouTube for free video workout routines to follow.
Simply search for the type of workout you have in mind and choose from the hundreds of exercise routines that users have uploaded to YouTube. You can most likely find workout routines shot with professional trainers.
Another great place to search for workout routines and fitness tips is Pinterest. You can create an exercise board on Pinterest and pin your favorite routines, recipes and strategies along with goal sheets, challenges and more. It’s all there; you just need to search for it and save it to your board for future reference.
Download a Fitness App for your Smartphone
If you’d rather avoid the crowded gym early this year and just exercise in your living room on your own free time, you can download a free fitness app to your smartphone.
One of my favorite free fitness apps is Nike Plus Training Club. This app is mostly geared toward women and allows users to meet their fitness goals through convenient personal training sessions that they can access anywhere, anytime.
Once you download the app and create an account, you can choose your main fitness goal and focus and utilize dozens of guided fitness videos taught by some of the world’s most famous athletes and fitness trainers. You can modify the workouts as you see fit and even stream the app onto your television for added convenience.
With today’s modern technology and a little motivation and determination, you can work toward meeting your fitness and health goals without having to pay for a monthly membership at the gym.
Do you have a gym membership? What is your favorite way to exercise and stay fit?
Chonce is a freelance writer who’s obsessed with frugality and passionate about helping others increase their savings rate, eliminate debt, and work toward financial stability. She chronicles her journey to becoming debt-free on her blog, mydebtepiphany.com.
