FitSugar

Ways to Recession-Proof Your Fitness

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:30:00 -0700

I was not pleased when my gym membership fee increased. As if it's not already expensive enough! If you can't afford monthly gym costs, here are some tips for working out on a budget.

Stairs are free. Take them when you can.
Thera-bands cost under $10 and they're a great option for resistance training.
Rent exercise DVDs from Netflix, or buy them. Have a few on hand for cardio, strength training, and stretching so you can get a well-rounded workout for not much dough.
Get an exercise ball for around $20. If you're not sure how to use it, check out these exercises that will strengthen and stretch all the muscles in your body.

Interested in learning more ways to exercise inexpensively? Then read more.

Get an all-in-one exercise system. I like GoFit Ultimate ProGym because it offers a wide range of training options.
A jump rope is under $6 and allows you to get your heart rate up anywhere. You can even pack it in your suitcase when traveling.
Buy a pair of last year's model of sneakers on sale, and walk or run in your neighborhood.
Start a community walking group, or a mommy stroller group. Not only is it free, but it's a great way to get you motivated to exercise regularly.
Most parks are free, so try doing pull-ups on the monkey bars, or dips using a picnic table. Or visit a nature park with trails. Trekking up the hills is a great cardio workout, and also tones your butt and thighs.
You can check out the strength training and cardio workout we created here on FitSugar. Here are a bunch of printable workouts to try at your convenience.

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Favorite Excuse For Not Working Out: I Don't Have the Time

FitSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700

You have a demanding job, you go to school full-time, you're a mom, you volunteer, you have appointments, and a dog, and a daily to-do list five miles long. There's no way you can fit exercising into the mix, right? Not having enough time to workout is a valid excuse, until you realize that free time doesn't just magically appear in your schedule - you have to make it happen.

Don't feel like you have to start off with an hour-long routine at the gym. Begin with short workouts. Do 10 minutes a day, or 20 minutes a few times a week. Find ways to move throughout your day. A little goes a long way, and a few minutes here and there definitely add up. For some quick workout ideas, read more.

Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier so you can go for a jog, or pop in a fitness DVD.
If you have to make a phone call, walk up and down the stairs while you chat.
Do push-ups, crunches, lunges, and squats while watching your favorite TV show.
Go for a 20-minute walk with a friend after dinner. Not only will it burn calories, but it'll help clear your mind so you'll be ready for bed.
Sign up for a series of dance classes. They usually happen one night week, so you can set aside a few hours in your schedule ahead of time.
Instead of sitting at your desk on your lunch break, slip on your sneaks and hit the gym or go for a walk. Then you can eat afterward while you work.

If you have any other ideas for fitting in quick workouts, please share them below.

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Favorite Excuse For Not Working Out: I Just Hate It

FitSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:30:00 -0700

When it comes to taking care of yourself, you have no problem eating healthy and watching your calorie intake. That part is easy. It's the exercise part you have a problem with. You just hate it. Maybe you can't stand going to the gym, or working out in public. Maybe you hate running outside or on the treadmill because you can't breathe or it hurts your knee. Maybe you don't know how to use weight machines or dumbbells. Maybe you just don't like your exercise outfits, or maybe you just never liked exercise, period.

You're not alone. If you hate working out, then you probably haven't found the type of exercise that's right for you. There are millions of ways to move your body, and you've got to find one that speaks to you. It has to be fun, affordable, and cause no discomfort. It must also be convenient so you're more likely to stick with it, and it has to be effective so you see results. Here are some exercise ideas:

If you don't like exercising alone: Take fitness classes at a gym such as spinning, sign up for a group lesson with a trainer at your gym, or join a dodgeball team.

If you hate the gym and love the outdoors: Go for a hike up a steep mountain, hit some bike trails, or play Ultimate Frisbee.

If you think exercise is boring: Sign up for a hula hooping class, watch a movie on your iPod while using a cardio machine, or jump into a Circus Arts workshop.

To see the other ideas read more.

If you have knee or back pain: Use an elliptical, take up swimming, or do strength training with dumbbells or resistance bands.

If you don't like moving fast: Do yoga, Pilates, or go for a long walk with a friend.

If you just don't know what to do: Hire a personal trainer for a series of sessions. They'll help you figure out how to reach your goals, how to use machines at a gym, how to do exercises at home on our own, and can suggest new ways to exercise to prevent boredom.

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Fit Minute: Don't Belong to a Gym? No Worries

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0700

If your favorite excuse for not working out is that you don't belong to a gym, I have figured out many ways to work around this problem. Check out this Fit Minute from ExerciseTV to see some of my solutions to your problem.

Do have any additional ideas? Share them in the comment section below.

Favorite Excuse For Not Working Out: I Hate the Gym

FitSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:00:00 -0700

I hear this excuse all the time, "I just hate the gym." I can understand why some folks genuinely hate the gym and prefer to work out outdoors, but some folks just use hating the gym as an excuse to not exercise. If this sounds a bit like you then take a look at the positive with a few of my ways to learn to love the gym:

Pick a gym that is easily accessible. Nothing makes going to the gym harder than deadlock traffic. Plus, if it's easy to get to then you'll be less likely to use getting there as an excuse for not going.
Mother Nature doesn't matter. The gym offers an all-weather, year-round place to exercise. No more missing workouts because it's raining or snowing.
Listen during your tour of the gym and take them up on any freebies being offered. I hate not knowing where things are, too. Not only did I ask a lot of questions on my gym tour, I immediately signed up for my free personal training session and gained a wealth of information on the machines and how to use them, etc.

That's not all, so read more.

First day jitters go away. Your first day at the gym is like your first day at school, only way easier. The more you go, the more comfortable you feel.
There's plenty of variety. Any given gym has a large amount of weight and cardio machines, free weights, exercise balls, exercise classes, etc. All these things are at your dispense so appreciate the variety a gym has to offer and take advantage of it.
Day care. I love the great outdoors as much as the next girl, but the park where I like to run does not offer day care. My gym does.
It's a great place to meet people. I know this is not really why you are working out in the first place, but it's an added bonus. Whether you'd like an exercise buddy or a Friday night date, your gym could be the perfect place to find him or her.

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Favorite Excuse For Not Working Out: It Is Hard to Fit Into My Schedule

FitSugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:30:00 -0800

There are so many excuses for not working out and I have heard plenty in my day. If the reason you stay melded to the couch is that fitting exercise into your life is not as easy as it used to be back in high school then you are not alone.

According to Steven Bray, a researcher at Canada's McMaster University, the inability to cope with change is one of the biggest reasons our activity rates decline as we age. Back in high school many people play organized sports, bike to school, and take required gym classes. During college and the years following, physical activities are harder to come by and harder to fit into schedules.

This is why it feels like you have to double your efforts to stay active, compared to when you were a high-school student. Don't give up hope though. Make a fitness plan, get a workout buddy, join a team, join a running club, take the stairs. I found that once I carved a place for fitness in my life, I can't really maintain my bearings without it.

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Favorite Excuse for Not Working Out: I'll Hurt Myself

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:15:00 -0800

You want to start exercising harder, but you're worried about getting hurt, and being out of commission is not something you're willing to do. If you're excuse for not adding some exercise into your life is, "I'll hurt myself," then take a look at these great tips from the Mayo Clinic.

Take it slow. Start with a simple walking program. As you become more confident in your abilities, add new activities to your routine.
Try an exercise class for beginners. You'll learn the basics by starting from scratch.
Consider working one-on-one with a personal trainer. Get a customized fitness tutorial from a certified expert, who can monitor your movements and point you in the right direction.

Fit's Tip: If you're worried about reinjuring a recently healed injury, be sure to talk to your doctor and/or physical therapist to learn which exercise you should stay away from. Chances are there are still many exercises you can do that will not risk injury.

If this is not your excuse for not working out, then check out all my favorite excuses to see where you fit in.

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Favorite Excuse for Not Working Out: I'm Too Tired

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:30:00 -0700

We all have a favorite excuse for not working out. If yours is "I am just too tired," I have something to tell you. Exercise will give you energy. For reals!

When you are tired, it is difficult to remember how great you felt at the end of your last workout. Chances are really high you felt better post exercise than you did before, and you probably felt more relaxed too. Exercise promotes oxygen exchange, out with the stale air and in with the fresh. Motivate yourself with the carrot of the post exercise euphoria!

Exercise can help you sleep better, and a night of restful sleep will help you stay more energized the next day.

When I am feeling weary and therefore wary of exercise, I have to work through the mind games I play to talk myself out of exercising. Once I finally get moving, I find my energy is there and I am for a full workout. So fight the "too tired" excuse with the mantra "exercise to energize." It may be a little cheesy, but sometimes all it takes is two words to get me off the couch.

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Favorite Excuse for Not Working Out: My Baby

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:00:00 -0700

The transition to becoming a mom can really take a toll on your body, but you can bounce back and become a strong mom. Does your favorite excuse for NOT exercising involve being the parent of small children? Well here are some tips get you up and moving.

There are as many roadblocks to fitness as there are benefits to gain from fitness. So figuring out how to motivate yourself past your favorite excuse is beyond beneficial. So if your excuse is, "I'm too busy with my kids to workout," it is time to change your tune. I used that excuse for a while, but I soon realized if I wasn't "modeling" good health habits for my kids they would have no idea of the value of exercise. I didn't want to fall into the, "Do as I say not as I do" version of parenting.

Here are a few ideas to get you started thinking about how to fit in some exercise while hanging with your baby.

When you have a newborn

You can do tummy time with your baby. Get down on the floor and get active while your baby fusses over learning this new position.
Pack that baby up and go for a stroll since the fresh air is good for you and the baby.

Want to see what you should do when your baby starts moving? Then read more

When the baby starts crawling

Get down on all fours and explore with your child. You will work your arms and your legs as well as learn the value of sweeping the floor from first hand experience.
Carrying your child around like all the Hollywood mommas will definitely get your arms strong and toned. You know...babies can double as weights. Just make sure to alternate arms and keep your tummy pulled up and in to protect your back.

Toddler workout

Follow your new walker around and do what they do. Try to do it for 10 minutes. Granted his or her center of gravity is considerably lower so his or her up/down motions are easier. Toddlers also love, LOVE when you imitate them. It will be a nice bonding game as well as a strength training time for you.
The playground at any age even with tots can be quite a workout. Pushing the swing and the merry-go-round can work your arms and burn some calories. I like to add a squat between each push, as well as alternate arms.

So workout with your little ones and you will feel better when they start to work your patience.

Favorite Excuse for Not Working Out: I Don't Belong to a Gym

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:15:00 -0700

I hear it time and time again, "I'd love to workout, but I don't belong to a gym." Guess what? A lot of really healthy and fit people do not have gym memberships and a lot of people with gym memberships aren't so healthy anyway.

So if you've been using the no gym membership as an excuse, here are a few tips on working out without a gym:

Make the great outdoors your gym. Hit a park and do step-ups on benches. Hop on a bike and ride around town for 45 minutes. Swim laps in a lake or your local pool. Run in a park or at a local track. Use outdoor stairs for stair climbing. Toss around the Frisbee or football with friends in the park.
Make your home your gym. Rent exercise DVDs. Buy equipment for home use. Use household items as your weights. Use your stairs for step-ups, sideways squats and more. Pump up the music and dance while you clean. Do sit-ups and push-ups during commercials of your favorite TV show.
Make your everyday activities count. Take the stairs whenever possible. Bike (or walk) to work. Talk a few short brisk walks during your day. Sign up for a yoga class during your lunch break. Walk to your coworkers office instead of sending her an email. Join your kids in a game of tag.

There are so many ways outside of the gym for getting active. Belonging to a gym can simplify things because you're in, you're out and it's done but you can make it just as simple by thinking outside the box. I am sure you guys all have your non-gym ideas for getting fit, so share them in the comments section below.

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