{"id":844,"date":"2011-10-04T07:51:28","date_gmt":"2011-10-04T11:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/beyondgorgeous\/?p=844"},"modified":"2011-10-04T07:51:28","modified_gmt":"2011-10-04T11:51:28","slug":"free-and-nearly-free-fitness-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beyondgorgeous\/2011\/10\/free-and-nearly-free-fitness-options.html","title":{"rendered":"Free — and Nearly Free — Fitness Options"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adding extra steps and more activity to your day is the best — and least expensive — way to increase your level of fitness.\u00a0 But what if you want more?\u00a0 There are lots of free and nearly free options.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Check out the Internet for free workouts.\u00a0 A quick Google search will turn up more hits than you can ever use.\u00a0 Look for the ones that fit your personal lifestyle and goals the best.<\/p>\n

For those who are bit more technically challenged, you can also find free resources at the library.\u00a0 Instead of plunking down money for exercise books and videos, borrow them from the library first.\u00a0 If you hate it, turn it back in and move on.\u00a0 If it works for you, then you can invest in buying it.<\/p>\n

Do you have a smart phone?\u00a0 Inexpensive apps can keep you on track, both with keeping up with nutritional data and with your exercise program.\u00a0 Again, look for the one that is right for YOU.\u00a0 I have the C25K app (Couch to 5K) which cost a couple of dollars and has totally changed my level of fitness.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t run, or hate it, look for something you like and will do.<\/p>\n

Inexpensive dumbbells and resistance bands can give tone your muscles without the trouble of going to the gym, or paying the membership dues.\u00a0 If you are REALLY determined to save money, you can use milk jugs filled with water and secured with duct tape over the lid.\u00a0 To adjust the weights upward, just add more water.\u00a0 You can use a household scale to measure how much you are lifting.<\/p>\n

And then there are garage sales and Craigslist.\u00a0 If you want a treadmill or larger weight set, there are always plenty up for grabs at a bargain price.\u00a0 An honest salesman once told me that they don\u2019t put much workmanship into most home workout equipment because it is rarely used.\u00a0 A typical treadmill is used as a clothes hanger in the bedroom after the first few weeks and doesn\u2019t get much wear and tear on the motor. That\u2019s why the kind you buy for personal use is much less expensive than the models they sell to fitness centers.\u00a0 You might as well buy one at a bargain price. If you find something you love, you can invest in one with more bells and whistles.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t want to buy equipment,\u00a0 you can probably find a friend who will be glad to loan you his so that he can have the space in his garage.\u00a0 I was second in line to get my treadmill — which I loved and did use — and when I moved into a smaller home I had to pass it on.\u00a0 It\u2019s on its second home since mine.\u00a0 That makes four of us who have used it and only one person was out any money.<\/p>\n

For some people the gym is worth the price of membership. I\u2019m one of those folks.\u00a0 I\u2019ve gotten more than my money\u2019s worth from it and I enjoy going.\u00a0 But you don\u2019t have to go to a gym to improve your level of fitness.\u00a0 It just takes some thought and a bit of ingenuity.\u00a0 If you want to do it, you CAN afford to get in shape!<\/p>\n

Eating to live and living for Christ,<\/em><\/p>\n

Susan Jordan Brown<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adding extra steps and more activity to your day is the best — and least expensive — way to increase your level of fitness.\u00a0 But what if you want more?\u00a0 There are lots of free and nearly free options. Check out the Internet for free workouts.\u00a0 A quick Google search will turn up more hits…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":423,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[226,120,225,65],"class_list":["post-844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exercise-2","tag-bargain","tag-fitness","tag-gym","tag-workouts"],"yoast_head":"\nFree - and Nearly Free - Fitness Options - Beyond Gorgeous<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beyondgorgeous\/2011\/10\/free-and-nearly-free-fitness-options.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Free - and Nearly Free - Fitness Options - Beyond Gorgeous\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Adding extra steps and more activity to your day is the best — and least expensive — way to increase your level of fitness.\u00a0 But what if you want more?\u00a0 There are lots of free and nearly free options. 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