Getting In Shape Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive
We’re just a few weeks away from the dreaded New Year’s Resolutions. It’s easy to get a bit fluffy around the holidays because of all the parties and all the amazing food. I know that gym membership sales skyrocket in January. However, these can be very expensive and if you’re just starting out on your fitness journey, you may not want to drop so much money right off the bat.
There’s a few ways where you may able to get in regular workouts without having to give up an arm and a leg. Heck I’ve even listed a couple of free options! Trust me when I say that getting in shape doesn’t have to be expensive.
YouTube
I had to list this one first because honestly, this is how I started my fitness journey. Doing workout videos from YouTube started a chain reaction and I added on classes and a gym membership later. There are so many different types of workouts available.
Yoga With Adriene has a new video each week and there’s some various challenges yearly where you do a yoga video a day. Her videos are beginner friendly and very easy to follow!
Blogilates is an amazing Pilates channel. Each month, creator Cassey Ho posts a calendar on her website which tells you which videos to do for every day of the month. Not only are these easy to knock out with little to no equipment, but they tend to be low impact so they are very beginner friendly!
Tone It Up is another fitness community with free YouTube workouts available. Here you have the option for a paid membership or you can follow their weekly schedule and do their free videos on YouTube. Their videos vary in difficulty but if you are consistent, you should be able to get through them!
Related: My Tone It Up Experience
Boutique Studio Trials
This is one takes a little bit of researching but it’s a fun way to try new things! Many yoga, spin, or Pilates studios offer new students a free class to try out the space. Some even offer you a free class for a review on Yelp. I know some gym franchises have similar deals and will give you a guest pass for a few days. You may not be able to make a routine out of this but you may be able to take a free class a week to help you find a studio you like! I would also recommend looking into holiday specials now. If you find a studio you like you may be able to get a discount on a set of classes and save big bucks!
Another thing to look for is for free classes offered by studios. Some yoga studios offer free classes for new instructors. This gives the training instructors real bodies to work with and you get a good sweat out of it. Some gyms, YMCAs, or even churches offer free fitness classes to bring in people during “dead” time. Asking around and staying connected with studios will give you a feel of when these classes are offered.
Fitness Apps
It’s not secret that fitness apps are trending now. The ability to access them anywhere makes it convenient and you’re less likely to skip on your workout because you don’t want to drag yourself to the gym. They are significantly cheaper than an actual gym membership.
Sweat With Kayla is the app from BBG creater Kalya Itsines. This takes the traditional paper workout guide and brings it to your phone. You get each more broken out and a timer to get you through the workout. You also have guides to help you correct your form for each move. Now you will have to pay for the exercise plan you want in addition to the monthly app charge so this is something to look at before you dive in.
Studio Tone It Up is the app created by the Tone It Up ladies. This works more like YouTube where you will find a library of workouts you can do. You’ll also get the daily workout reminders that follow the weekly workout schedule from the website. One thing that sets this app apart is that you can take “live” classes with others. There’s a chat room where you can chat with others in the class before and after the class is complete. This app only requires a monthly charge.
Nike Training Club app is probably the first app I used back in college. It’s come a long way and it’s interface is very user friendly. It’s loaded with hundreds of workouts with step by step guides. You can choose your workouts based on difficulty as well as duration. This app also has workout plans that adjust depending on your weekly performance. My favorite part of this app? It’s absolutely free! This is a great place to start if you don’t want to pay a monthly fee.
There’s so many different ways that you can get moving by spending little to no money at all! Exercise doesn’t have to drain your bank account. By using all the available resources out there, you can get in shape without spending all your savings!
