Frugal Ways To Get In Shape

October 9, 2007 · Filed Under , ·  

Box of Calorie BurnersOver the past 2 years I have lost 45 pounds and did it by being frugal (almost). You see, I made one mistake and I will get to that later. On the good side, I never paid for a gym membership and yet I am in the best shape I have been in since my college days 12 years ago. I use to be exhausted every night by 8 p.m., and had very little energy to play with my kids. I knew I had to make a change. I knew the gym membership would not be a good financial decisions for me since I work from my home office. The last thing I wanted to do after a busy work day was get in the car and drive 15 minutes to the nearest gym, fight the guy in spandex to get the last treadmill, get in the car and drive 15 minutes back home. Don’t even ask me about going before work….I am not a morning person and would need to put coffee in my CamelBak instead of water. So I did some research and found ways to get in shape that fit my frugal lifestyle.

  1. Cardio First. The first thing I had to do was get my heart rate up for at least 30 minutes a day, 3-5 days a week. I found a NordicTrack Elliptical Machine at Sears that fit into my home office. It was on sale and I got it for about $600. I needed the flexibility to work-out around our family schedule. I can go in the office after the kids go to bed or I can hit the elliptical at my lunch break when the kids are in school. Looking back on this purchase, I would have explored other options before going for the big ticket item so quickly. First, I think I could have gotten a better deal at Play It Again Sports, it seems they always have used treadmills and elliptical machines that probably have had very little use. Secondly, I find I only use the basic stuff and not all the bells and whistles mine has. I could have gotten a quality machine for half the price. I’m still learning that just because the options look cool, they typically are not worth the extra money!
  2. Cardio Can Be Free. You don’t have to go out and make a big purchase like I did. Instead, just start walking 30 minutes a day, 4-5 times per week around your neighborhood. Not only will it help to burn calories, but it will also control your blood pressure, decrease risk of heart attack, decrease risk of type 2 Diabetes, and lower your risk of stroke. For me, the biggest benefit from exercise is the way it makes me feel, it is awesome! I have more energy, my brain is less cluttered, and exercising really helped reduce my stress levels. Plus, after exercising you will sleep great! If you want something more strenuous but still frugal, try tennis, mountain biking, street biking, or jogging. Jogging was always hard on my joints so I don’t do it. The elliptical machine is very easy on joints and I have never felt sore after using it.
  3. Find Ways To Sweat. As a father of 3 active kids, I now make an effort to get involved with them when they are playing. Before, I was content to watch my son ride his bike, now I get out my bike and ride along beside him. My 3 year old daughter loves horses, before I would sit and play horses with her, now I get down on my hands and knees and pretend that I am “the horse” and she rides on my back all over the house. I am burning calories before we get down the hall. We have a tub full of balls and outside games in the garage and we dig into it often. We play Frisbee, basketball, soccer and golf on the front lawn, tennis against the garage door, all great ways to burn calories. No longer am I a by-stander in my kid’s lives, I am actually participating and they love it! When it comes to burning calories and getting your heart going, opportunities abound, you just have to spot them and get up and do it!
  4. Change Your Mind-Set. This part is totally free! Along with overeating and eating to much crap, I was a horrible procrastinator which led to my weight gain. I use to say to myself, “Oh, I will try and get some exercise tomorrow.” Tomorrow came and went and I did absolutely nothing! This all changed when I discovered the advice of spending just a few minutes each day focused on getting in shape. I typically did this just prior to working out. This could be in the form of meditating or just a few quiet moments with your thoughts. I would picture a thinner, healthier me actually participating in my children’s lives, running around with them, throwing them in the air and all that good stuff! This would always keep me focused on the reason behind the workout and made it easier to start and finish. I would suggest this advice to anyone having trouble getting started.

Please Pass This Post Along and Comment Below!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Furl
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • YahooMyWeb

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Comments

5 Responses to “Frugal Ways To Get In Shape”

  1. Lynnae @ Being Frugal on October 9th, 2007 5:58 am

    I can definitely relate to the procrastination bit. I’m going to try your #4 tip and see how it works for me!

  2. Kyle on October 9th, 2007 2:48 pm

    Lynnae, give it a try, it really works for me. Especially after the first couple weeks of exercising when the excitement wears off, really helps me stayed focused on my goals.

  3. FourPillars on October 9th, 2007 8:01 pm

    Great post! I try to stay as active as I can but since I got married and had a kid, the opportunities for exercise are a lot less frequent so it’s more important to take advantage of any exercise time I can get!

    I’m really looking forward to running around with my son next summer which should be good for a few calories - we do a lot of activities together now especially at the local park but since he’s just a toddler it’s not hard for me to keep up (for now).

    One thing I do which unfortunately doesn’t apply to most people is ride my bike to work (weather permitting) - it’s faster than transit so I can get some exercise and still save time.

    Mike

  4. Kyle on October 10th, 2007 11:30 am

    FP, thanks for the comment. You will be amazed how you can get a good workout chasing your son around next spring and summer. Good for you riding your bike to work! Great way to get in shape and since it saves you time that is a win-win.

  5. isa on June 15th, 2008 4:51 am

    I can also relate to the procrastination… good advice, I’ll give it a shot! It might help that I just got a kitty. He’s an indoor cat and I live in a tiny apartment, so maybe I can take him walking. The fresh air and exercise will be good for us both. :)

Leave a Reply




Bad Behavior has blocked 496 access attempts in the last 7 days.