The Struggles of Being Fit and Healthy – The Cost
“I can’t afford to buy fitness equipment or join a gym.”
This sounds like it could be a valid excuse, but it’s really not. In these tough economic times, people are losing their jobs, cutting back on expenses and just trying to make it another day. We are all scaling back on things that we don’t need, but your health is one thing you can’t afford to lose!
Working out doesn’t have be expensive. In fact, it can be totally FREE. NO ONE ever said that you need to be a member of a gym, spend ridiculous amounts of money or have the latest and greatest fitness gear to be fit. Big box gyms and the fitness gadget creators may advertise that without them you’ll never reach your weight loss goals, but that is SO not true. You don’t need a $3000 treadmill or a Gut Fat Blaster 2000 or a membership to a gym that charges $50 a month. All you need is to lose the excuses and get motivated. The last time I checked, most people owned a pair of sneakers and walking was still free. Slip on your shoes and go outside for a walk. FREE EXERCISE! Got a bike – ride it. NO COST WORKOUT! Want to do some strength training? Try body weight exercises like squats, lunges, pushups, pull-ups or tricep dips on a chair. If you feel like you need a little more resistance, fill an empty milk jug with water or sand. Now you have a 5-10 pound weight with a handy dandy handle. Do bicep curls, side lateral raises, one arm rows and overhead presses with your new homemade weight. Walking, running, biking (if you already own a bike), bodyweight exercises, self made weights – ALL FREE (well…except for the milk you had to drink to get the empty jug)!
This answer usually leads to another excuse –
“I walk (or bike or run) outside in the summer but it’s too cold to workout outside in the winter. I can’t afford to go to a gym to get my cardio.”
I live in Wisconsin and I get this excuse ALL the time. I get it! When it’s -5 outside, no one wants to be out there freezing your bits and pieces off. But you know what – no one said you had to. My answer to this is to introduce the “excuse-er” to circuit training. By doing exercises quickly back-to-back, you can get an amazing strength and cardio workout all in one. Try doing JUST 5 minutes of mountain climbers, pushups, burpees, tricep dips on a chair and pop squats and tell me that THAT didn’t get your heart rate up. Again – all of these exercises are FREE!
I love it when someone tells me they can’t afford to workout, but they have a pack a day smoking habit, spend their weekends drinking and eat out multiple times a week. What?!?! You can’t afford to take care of your body – THE ONE YOU LIVE IN – but you are willing to pay for something is killing it. If you can waste your money on cancer sticks, nights at the bar or fast food, you can afford to exercise. Actually, you can’t afford NOT to exercise. And when someone tells me this while they are sporting a $300 handbag on their shoulder I want to take that bag at knock them upside the head with it.
If something is important to you, you’ll be willing to go without in order to get it (ie that expensive handbag). Being healthy and enjoying a long life is important to me. If I have to go without my $3 coffee everyday in order to pay for a gym membership, I’m going do it. I might not like it, but I’ll sacrifice my sanity in the morning to be able to exercise and be healthy. Depending on what you choose to do, exercise can be free. You may need to invest a little money, but in the long run you are investing in your health. It’s up to you to make that choice. You need to decide what your health is worth. My philosophy is: even if you have to spend SOME money on exercising, it’s still going to be cheaper than daily medications, doctor visits and precious memories lost.
If you have any questions on this subject, please feel free to contact me tera@fitnesstogo.net
Want FREE workouts that you can do AT HOME with little to NO EQUIPMENT? Join me every week on my Facebook Page for WORKOUT WEDNESDAY or check out my Workouts | To | Go board on Pinterest.
