How to Create a Frugal Exercise Club

Filed Under Fitness, Frugal, Saving Money | 1 Comment

I love to work out at the gym, but that option isn’t for everyone. The gym is expensive and easy to avoid. If you want a cheaper option and need motivation to get in shape, form a frugal exercise club with nearby friends. You have several fitness options:

Walking Club: A walking club is the easiest and cheapest. You can ask several co-workers to take lunchtime walks with you. Plan a variety of routes to avoid boredom. Telecommuters or stay-at-home parents can probably find neighbors to walk with during the day. Walking with neighbors not only provides a social outlet, but knowing you have someone waiting for you forces you to take a much-needed break from your work.

Free Fitness Classes: Many community centers and parks offer a few free fitness classes every week. A yoga teacher offers free daily classes at a park near me. He does accept donations, but they’re not required. Once you find a class that looks interesting, ask a couple friends to attend with you.

Group Exercise at Home: Outdoor exercise isn’t always possible, so you could pool your resources to buy a couple workout DVDs or take turns borrowing them from the library or a rental store. If one of you has cable, check the on Demand menu. Clear a space in someone’s living room or basement and follow the DVD together. Avoid any video that calls for equipment, unless you’re all willing to buy plastic steps and free weights.

Weekend Exercise Club: The Los Angeles area offers ample hiking and other outdoor activities. You probably have many options near you, too. If you’re not sure where they are, borrow local activity and hiking guides from the library. Note some good possibilities, and then ask your friends if they’d be interested in trying them with you. To form our group, my friend created a three-month schedule with hikes, kayaking, yoga, and other activities. She sends weekly reminders of the weekend activity to find out who can attend. I also marked them in my calendar so I know to plan for them. Most of the options are low-cost, which works well with our budgets. At the end of the three months, we’ll plan the next three months. This plan works especially well for areas with good weather year-round, but you can substitute indoor classes if you live in a region with harsh winter weather.

Outdoor activities club:
If your friends won’t join you, find a formal club. The Sierra Club is active in many areas and frequently holds hikes and other activities. Most are free, but some require fees. Once you attend, you may meet new friends who are willing to branch out. You can also check the calendar at local wilderness areas for ranger-led hikes. If you prefer other outdoor activities, ask a local sporting goods store for information about local clubs. You can also Google the name of your city or region and the name of the sport, like “Los Angeles bicycle club.” I’ve always wanted to try orienteering, which is hiking with a competitive goal.

Online exercise motivation club: If you can’t find anyone to work out with you, email long distance friends or relatives to form an online motivation club. Simply knowing that you have to email your progress and activities to friends might be enough to get you off the couch.

Even if your friends are a bunch of couch potatoes, you can probably entice them to form an exercise club with you. Once you all get out there and get moving, it will quickly become a regular habit.

Jan

21

Get Fit without Ruining Your Budget

Filed Under Budget, Fitness, Health Costs, Saving Money | Leave a Comment

Apparently the third Monday in January is the saddest day of the year. Researchers determined this because this is the day you’ll receive holiday credit card bills and this is the day most people realize those resolutions have failed. Here are some tips for renewing that resolution to get in shape without busting your budget.

Find a Gym Near Your Office
If you ran out and joined a gym near your house, see if they have a branch near your office that you can either switch to or use as well. That way you can visit the gym on your lunch. Not only does it fit well into your schedule, but you’ll find that you’re more productive in the afternoon. I’m fortunate that I can walk to my gym, but if you don’t have one in walking distance, look for a five-minute drive or less. That will give you enough time to do some real exercise.

Get a Guest Pass
If you haven’t already joined a gym and want to, ask for a one-week guest pass before you join. If you don’t use your guest pass much during that week, don’t join the gym. You can get fit with other options instead

Join with Family Members
Family members usually get a discount, so have yourself added to your spouse’s membership if you’ll actually visit that gym or chain. Not only can you encourage each other, but the second membership will be cheaper and probably won’t require start-up fees.

Ask for a Discount
Gyms are always running specials. Ask for one. If they don’t give you a good deal, walk away. Then go home and research offers online. Most chain gyms display their offers right on their website. Print it out and then go back to talk to the manager.

Hire a Trainer for a Few Sessions
Trainers are expensive, but I was in the best shape of my life after working with a trainer once a week for six months. Alas, I couldn’t maintain the expense, but I did hire one for five weeks recently to show me how to use new machines and learn new techniques. Most gyms have an introductory training special. My gym, 24-Hour Fitness, offer 5 sessions for around $50 for first-time buyers. Yes, you’ll get pressured to buy more sessions, but you can say no.

At the very least, take the free introductory session offered when you join. They’ll cover the basics on using the machines and recommend the right machines for you. Don’t watch other members to learn how to use them because most people use them improperly. At best, you won’t see much improvement. At worst, you’ll get hurt.

Trainers will also help you fine-tune your cardio exercises. Most people do that wrong, too. You don’t have to go at top speed the whole time. In fact, you’ll lose more fat if you vary the pace and change machines from time to time.

Quit if You Hate It or Don’t Go
Most gyms have a cancellation fee, but that fee is much lower than the cost of continuing to pay out the rest of your contract. If you’re simply not going to go, bite the bullet and pay the cancellation fee.

Exercise at Home
As I mentioned yesterday, it’s possible to get in shape at home. All you need is a plastic stool and some free weights. You might also want resistance bands or a balance ball. You can find most of this stuff at Target or a local sporting goods store. Watch the Sunday newspaper ads for sales, or check online. Free weights are usually $1 a pound, but I’ve found them for half that during sales. I recommend the neoprene-covered weights because metal weights can be slippery. Now go online to women’s magazines, men’s magazines, and fitness sites to find free workouts you can print out. Some sites allow you to enter some data to customize them to your needs. Look for routines with pictures or videos so you can see how to do the moves properly.

If you have cable, check your On Demand menu. Mine has several exercise programs, and some of them are very tough. Try several until you settle on one you like. Since these programs are already included in the cost of your cable, this is a free option. Most of the shows don’t require any accessories. You can also check your library for exercise videos.

Walk
If you don’t want to exercise at home or at a gym, consider walking. All you need are walking shoes, a ski hat for colder days, and maybe a sports bra for women (change in the office bathroom.) Most walkers don’t work up a sweat, so you won’t need to shower afterwards. You can easily do it on your lunch hour. If you live in a wet or snowy climate, you can also walk in the mall. Just make sure you leave your money and credit cards in your office, not in your wallet!

Consider Buying Wii Fit
If you already have a Wii, then consider getting Wii Fit. It’s expected to cost around $70 and release later this month. It offers a variety of programs and will track your results. You can also compete with family members. It’s definitely cheaper than joining a gym if you already have a Wii. If the Wii is in your family room, it’s also harder to avoid than the gym.

I work out part time at the gym and part time at home. The combination works well for me. Even if you don’t want to spend a lot, you can find a way to get in shape and keep your budget in good shape, too.