No excuses: Getting a full body workout on a tight budget.
Erica Wells, R.D.
Let’s face it; times are tough and not everyone has room in their monthly budget to pay for an expensive gym membership. The fact is you do not need to spend $50, $30 or even $20 per month to be in great shape. That is why my husband and I decided to forego our gym fees for the home gym experience. All it takes is some basic exercise equipment, but even that does not need to come from the store. With a little imagination, you can get great workouts inside and outside of your home for $0/day.
Strength Training
Most strength training exercises can be done using body weight alone but many are built around using a weight of some kind (particularly with the upper body). There are also times when having a weight would improve the degree to which you are being challenged during your workout.
Lower Body
If you want to take your squats and lunges up a notch you can make weights out of old containers you probably already have in your home. Fill up two used 1 gallon water or milk jugs either half way for 4 pound weights or all the way to make them 8 pounds. You could even do this with old detergent bottles.
Upper Body
The standard pushup is a classic exercise that simply relies on your body weight alone. Not only does it work your chest, shoulders and triceps but it also engages your core muscles, making it a fantastic upper body workout. If you are just starting out, start out simple by doing your pushup off of a wall (see below). Once that becomes easy to you, move down to using the edge of your bed or a coffee table, then transition to a full floor pushup once you feel ready. You can also use a coffee table or the edge of a couch or chair for tricep dips.
For those that require some sort of weight, you can use anything from canned or jarred goods to large bottles of shampoo (see picture where I demonstrate an alternating anterior shoulder raise using two jars of spaghetti sauce). If during bicep curls you are not feeling challenged, simply add 2-3 canned goods to a grocery bag to make a weight that is better for you.
Cardio
Back to the basics
Nothing beats a basic walk, jog or run. If you have a pair of tennis shoes then you are ready to participate in this activity at zero cost to you. Head to your local park to do pull ups on the monkey bars or run the hills for intense cardio.
I hope this gives you some creative inspiration and helps you to see the opportunities for exercise that surround you. All you need to do is get up and get moving!
