frugal zeitgeist

Working Out At Home

Posted on 26. Oct, 2009 by Forest in General Articles, Health, Saving Money & Finances

I just started Working Out At Home due to the extortionate prices of the gyms around my local area. After looking around at many routines and speaking to my friends I finally settled an an intensive course called P90X. It’s very hard but good for me as I need something to keep me on my toes and push my fitness. I’ll write more about that as time goes on but for now this post is going to just look at some options you have for working out at home and how you could make it more beneficial than going to the gym and save you a lot of money in the long run.

First you need to work out what you want to acheive and then you can get an idea of what you need. Two criteria I always uphold for myself are that:

1) I can run 3+ miles (5k)

2) I can lift my own body weight

Now your goals can be as simple or complex as you like but I think pretty much any fitness goal can be acheived for less money, in the home, if you have the commitment!

Cardiovascular Work In The Home

Cardio is basically making your heart stronger. I like going for long runs and varying pace but that’s not technically in the home but still you are not paying high premiums to run in the gym. You could consider running on the spot, skipping or hitting the punchbag for an hour a few times a week. There are lots of options.

Strength Training At Home

To increase your strength you basically need to lift weight of some sort. You could invest in a good home gym (or get one cheaper 2nd hand) or just varying dumbells. Also you could lift with what you have. Cans of food, filled water bottles, anything that gives you muscles resistance. The boxing bad and cardio work will also help work on your strength. Exercises such as crunches and push ups require no equipment and often give you a more than adequate workout.

Flexibility At Home

Stretching is VERY important for fitness and becomes more important as you age. It maintains the body and helps stop you getting injured. You can easily stretch your major muscles each day and can find great resources online. For those serious about stretching I can highly recommend looking into Yoga. It is great for all round fitness.

How Do I Find  A Routine To Suit Me?

If possible I suggest you find elements of cardio, strength and flexibility in your home workout. Also you should eat well and stick to a plan. Sticking to a plan is often more important that the actual routine you decide to follow.

As around all your friends and see what home routines that have enjoyed and have had success with. Not everyone talks about working out and there may be loads of friends that do it already. Also friends may have DVDs that they can give you or you can hunt around your local stores and yard sales. The important first step is to just start something.

If you already hold a level of fitness that you want to push then you may need to research a little more. Like I said, I just started p90x and am on day 6 of 90….. And am in pain, in a good way!

There are many programs like this available and many can be got for less than $100. Just be vigilant and don’t sign up for a fad quick fit system, it won’t work! Working to a high level of fitness takes time.

In the past I have made my own routines that include a few days running and a few days with some light weight work just to keep some tone and general fitness. Also stretching is recommended every day. Just be careful and don’t overdo it!

I’ll be writing more about home fitness in the coming weeks so be sure to sign up here by email and keep in touch. Comments are always appreciated.

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5. 9 Ideas To Stay At Home On Saturday Night

Tags: cardio, dont pay for the gym, exercise at home, fitness, Health, heart, home fitness, strength