How to Exercise Without Losing Your Shirt

Okay, so winter has hit, but you’re determined to keep fit and remain faithful to exercising.  That’s great, but what if you can’t actually afford a gym membership, or all of the fancy, expensive home gym equipment?  Should you just say, “Well, forget it!  At least I was willing to try!”?  I guess you could, but it really isn’t necessary.  There are some great options out there that are available to those who want to keep exercising during the winter months, without having to take out a second mortgage on their homes.

• Go to the store and find yourself a great workout DVD.  There are many to choose from, and you can more than like find one to target any part of your body that you want to work on (buns of steel, anyone?).  Find a couple to try, so that you don’t get bored with the same routine.
• Using small weights offers great benefit when exercising, and they are relatively inexpensive.  All you need are the five and ten-pound weights, and if you think these are still too expensive, why not try using stuff you have around the house?  Use canned foods or jugs of milk!
• Using an exercise ball is a fun way to exercise, and it helps to strengthen the back and work on the abs.  You can usually pick one of these up for fairly cheap, and they are well worth having.
• A step for aerobic exercise is great for doing cardiovascular exercises.  While these are also quite inexpensive, you can just as easily use the stairs in your house, using a method that’s recommended by many trainers – going up one, down two, up three, down four – and on like that throughout the workout.
• One piece of equipment that’s a bit more expensive is an exercise bike, but it really is great for exercising at home.  If you go to eBay or Craigslist, or look through your local classifieds, you can very often find them for next to nothing by sellers who have long since given up on their exercise regime.  Legs, thighs and the upper body can all really benefit from an exercise bike, and when used every other day for at least 20 minutes, will provide weight loss as well.
• A treadmill would be wonderful to have in your home, but realistically, they are very expensive.  Sometimes it just doesn’t make sense to pay a lot of money for something that you can do so easily for free!  Go for a walk every day, for 20 to 30 minutes.  If it’s cold, bundle up – the fresh air will do you a world of good.
• What about a skipping rope, or a hula hoop?  These can give you a great workout, and you can have fun as well.  Of course, you may need to be a bit more careful with these items, if you’re using them in your house!

Everyone is telling us that exercise is so important, and we know it is, but sometimes getting the exercise we need is a workout in itself.  Home gym equipment is so expensive, most people are scared to invest that kind of money into something—because the pressure on them to then actually use it, often causes them to give up in frustration.  Not only that, but who actually has room in their house for some of the equipment that requires a room of their own?

Getting proper exercise doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive, even in the winter.  Find some good workout DVDs, get some of the small basics, and you’ll be in the shape of your life—without causing your wallet to lose pounds as well!