How I Stopped Wasting Money on a Gym Membership

When I worked at a national insurance company, working out was easy. Part of the perks in the job was a gym membership. The gym was in the building and it was simple to take a half hour after lunch, work out, have a quick shower and be back at my desk. After I left the insurance company to start my own business, staying fit was more difficult. I signed up to a local gym and paid an exorbitant monthly fee. It was a gorgeous fitness club full of gorgeously-fit people. I went about 4 times. It wasn't in a convenient location and I simply couldn't justify driving somewhere to work out. I let my membership lapse after six months while dodging renewal calls.

For those of you who, like me, don't want to spend the money for a gym membership and want to work out without taking out a second mortgage on your house, there's good news. You don't need all the fancy expensive equipment to lose weight and tone muscles. You can accomplish the same fitness goals at home without all the expense. Here are some tips to get started:

Don't underestimate the value of walking

Do you really need to spend a thousand dollars on a treadmill to burn off the calories? Of course not. Your feet work on the sidewalk just as well as they do on a machine. Go out for a walk in the early morning or evening. If you have time in the middle of the day, take a walk on your lunch hour. Walking is cumulative exercise. It doesn't have to be done all at once. And it's free!

Explore your cable channels

You know the ones I'm talking about -- the ones up on the upper end that you never browse through. Some of them are likely to be exercise program channels. Rather than spending a few hundred dollars on the latest videos sold on infomercials at two in the morning, go old school and work out with the programming you already pay for.

Hit up yard sales

Everyone who has ever purchased an expensive piece of exercise machinery had great dreams of having the perfect body. Often, those dreams are derailed and the expensive equipment ends up in the driveway with a price tag on it. You can pick up a stair climber or rowing machine for a few dollars.

Clean your house

There are many activities that help you stay in shape that really aren't labeled exercise. Cleaning your house can burn as many calories as a brisk walk or swim. It has to be done anyway so why not get in shape while you do it?

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