Fitness the Frugal Way

Working out Without Going Broke

By Teri Brown and Laurie L. Dove

Does your garage look like a graveyard for last year's exercise equipment? Are your bookshelves full of the latest "get slim" strategies by the newest weight loss guru?

If you've promised yourself more than once you won't spend one more dime on getting in shape or if you think you need a trendy gym membership to stay motivated, we have news for you: You can get fit for free.

Michelle Smith of Chico, Calif., subscribes to the "less is more" theory when it comes to staying fit. "Getting fit doesn't require special equipment or classes," says Smith, mother of three. "It just requires movement. As long as you use your body the way it was meant to be used not keeping it stuck in a chair it will stay strong and vital."

Smith's home fitness program includes jogging, belly dancing, Pilates and yoga. She suggests old-fashioned play to get in shape for free. "Play tag with your kids," says Smith. "You'll run and fall and laugh ... it's a blast! Play games like Red Light, Green Light or Hide and Go Seek. The challenge you feel when someone is just about to tag you really does motivate you to move faster!"

Karen Gibson of Danville, Ala., utilizes many economical elements in her fitness program. She walks a mile each day, and her family square dances once a week. "I also help lead line dances between each square dance," says Gibson. "By doing both the squares and the lines, there are some evenings when I am dancing almost continuously for more than two hours. That is really a workout!"

Gibson believes fitness should be a way of life, not just a concentrated effort every other day. "General things, like parking farther from the store so you have to walk, really help a lot," says Gibson. "When my kids are at their karate lessons, I walk around the shopping plaza where the karate school is."

Want to see more?

• Talk about it!
• Walking for Life: A Guide to Getting Started
• Off the Wall Fitness: Your Home Is All the Support You Need!
• You Do Have Time! Incorporating Exercise Into Your Daily Routine