I have recently taken up exercise as a hobby as way of getting rid of stress and staying somewhat in shape. I try to exercise as much as I can, and I run outside when the weather is nice.
It’s something I try to do as much as possible. It not only helps keeps me healthy, but it also helps keep m balanced. The good thing is I can do this without breaking the bank.
I used to belong to a corporate gym that I had to drive too almost every day. I would go as often as possible in order to get as much as value for my money. I was paying around $40 a month for the privilege of sweating alongside a group of strangers on treadmills and various other exercise machines.
I would spend money on gas as well as I was driving so much to the gym. I finally added up all the expenses just associated with gym-related costs. The total was more than $500 a year.
After calculating the amount, I was completely shocked by it and began thinking how much money I could save if I just found alternative ways to exercise. My boyfriend was interested in working out as well and we knew the gym costs for two people would be crazy. We also wanted to get some exercise equipment for the house so that we both could work out even if the weather was awful.
We began looking on Craigslist and found some used exercise equipment for cheap. We found a topnotch treadmill that was originally over $1,000 dollars that we negotiated down to $300. We found a biking machine for less than $100 and a weight machine for about $150. A few weights that were purchased at the store cost us about $20 total.
I try to watch work out videos on Netflix and YouTube if I am sick of running on a treadmill some days. I will even watch belly dance videos that I can find for free and use them as a way of shaking up my work out. I find belly dancing to be great for days where you still want to exercise but don’t want to put as much pressure on your knees and legs.
The internet is full of great information on how to change your workout and stay healthy no matter how little time you have. There is always something you can do to improve your health. The great thing is that it doesn’t have to destroy your finances either.
I have nothing against people who go to the gym. I just don’t have the money for it, and I would rather use that money elsewhere. I get a lot of joy from working out and feel like it’s one of those things that keeps me in balance. It is very reassuring to know that I can still find other ways of exercising without it hurting my budget.
Lately, my parents have given me one of their old bicycles and I plan on riding that as much as I can as it is another cheap way to stay in shape. Hopefully, I can finally get the will power to cut down on my cookie consumption!
