10 Easy Ways to Stay Fit on a Budget

Money is tight right now for a lot of us. There are only so many ways to make more of it and there are only so many hours in the day. For many people this means cutting back on the non-essentials as our disposable income dwindles and our purchasing power declines. But does this mean that our fitness needs to take a backseat for a while? 
 
Glad you asked. It does not. Your health is an investment. Therefore any time or money spent towards improving your health will pay off later on. Having said this, there are a number of ways to stay physically fit without spending a dime. 

Here are 10 ways to stay fit on a budget:

1.) Get organized. While it would be great to have a personal trainer or a health coach, this may not fit in your budget at the moment. Instead, set SMART goals and learn how to hold yourself accountable. 

2.) Recruit the help of your friends and/or family if you need a bit more support to get moving. See if there’s someone who’d like to join you on your healthy living journey. See if someone can check in on your goals with you.

3.) Rather than spending money on exercise equipment, try bodyweight exercises instead. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, stair step-ups, jumping jacks and planks are all examples. Each has multiple variations of the exercise that can keep things interesting. Just make sure you learn proper form and technique before you get started!

4.) Join a Meet up group, a walking club or a pick-up sport in your community. You might be one of those people who feeds off the energy of others when you workout. If so, do a little local research. You might be surprised at what you uncover right in your own backyard. So when joining a gym is not in your budget, you can still find your workout tribe out there. Joining free groups and clubs is one such way.

5.) Check out the plethora of free workout videos on YouTube: from gentle aerobics to high intensity workouts to yoga to tai chi; there’s something for everyone out there.

6.) Embrace the great outdoors. It’s been said that there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. Dress accordingly, get moving and let nature work its magic on your soul.

7.) Ditch the expensive protein bars and powders and opt for whole food alternatives. These may be a bit less convenient but with a little bit of prepping and planning, they can be just as easy to grab post-workout.

8.) Remember that playing with your kids counts as a workout. Doing household chores counts as a workout. Dancing to your favorite tunes counts as a workout. Gardening counts. Think outside the box and you’ll see that there are plenty of free ways to get moving.

9.) Designate a workout space in your home. Make it clear to yourself and to others that this space is yours and the space has a purpose. It doesn’t need to be big but rather, functional. Always keep the space ready-to-go for the next day, for the next workout. Make this space pleasant to walk into, make it welcoming, uncluttered and organized. And most importantly of all, design the space so working out is easy to get started with.

10.) Sprinkle movement in throughout the day whenever possible. Treat yourself to some “exercise snacking”. An extra staircase here, a walking meeting there. It all adds up at the end of the day. Who said that purposeful movement had to happen at a set time and place each day? The idea is to move as much as possible as often as possible.   
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You don’t need to join a fancy gym with all the bells and whistles in order to get fit or to stay fit. As we can see, there are plenty of affordable options to get your body moving. The most important thing, despite all other factors, is finding something that you can really enjoy. Recall activities in the past that you had fun engaging in or that you were good at. What were those activities? How can you get started?
 
If you need a little extra help getting organized, exploring options and making an exercise plan for yourself, check out our Healthy Exercise Habits workbook!