One of the main obstacles that puts many people off regular exercise – besides the actual physical effort a consistent exercise regime requires – is the cost of it. Most people, when they think ‘keep fit’, will immediately afterwards think ‘gym membership’, and we all know that joining a gym is rarely a cheap affair.
Another feature of gyms which might not appeal to a lot of people is the self-conscious aspect of the whole process. When you go there to work out, you’re in a room full of other people, who are seeing you tired, sweaty, in pain, and arguably at your least presentable.
So while gyms might work for some people, they don’t work for all of us. Luckily, there are ways you can stay in shape without putting yourself through the financial and emotional trauma a gym might impose upon you. Here are a few:
Aerobic Workout DVDs
Angela Griffin, Natalie Cassidy, Geri Halliwell – just about every ex-soap and 90s pop star in the universe has released an exercise DVD at some point. Obviously some are better than others. There are a few which seem to exist just to give the celebrity on the box something to do. However, if you’re just looking to keep fit, an investment of around £5-£10 in something you can work out to over and over will always be more cost effective than a gym membership. Don’t go mad. Do some research and pick the one which works for you. Davina McCall’s Super Body Workout is an Amazon favourite.
Fitness Gaming
Yes it sounds cheesy to say it, but there’s no reason that working out can’t be fun, as well as good for your body. The Wii Fit game is a great investment if you already have a Wii console. It is incredibly user-friendly, and you can use it from the comfort of your own home, without the rest of the world watching and waiting for you to trip over your own feet.
Build Your Own Gym
By that we don’t mean buy a load of bricks and mortar and start constructing a Fitness First in your back garden. We mean that you can work on your fitness without any special equipment, in your own home. You don’t need to go to a gym to do sit-ups and squat thrusts. Do some in your bedroom. And there are plenty of household objects which can help you with your exercise regime. Tins of food, for example, make excellent dumb-bells.
Local Sporting Events
You’ve no idea how much you can motivate yourself to exercise more by committing to a local sporting event, such as a 10k run or a bike ride. Even more so if you’re doing it for charity. By agreeing to participate and announcing your intention to, you’re applying a little psychological pressure on yourself to exercise in preparation – you’ll be more likely to work out in the weeks leading up to the big day, to reduce your risk of picking up a painful injury.
Don’t Take the Car
Simple enough. For those shorter journeys, leave the car at home, and take a walk. You would be surprised at how much difference those extra steps can make when walked every day.
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This article is written by Adam who is a freelance writer for Express Doctor UK; one of UK’s legal supplier of medical products online. In his free time, Adam loves to socialise with friends and family.