Staying in shape can get expensive with gym memberships and specialty equipment. Gym’s usually charge monthly fees anywhere from $40 and up. In addition, specialty equipment can cost thousands of dollars. However, there are cheap ways to stay in shape if you’re on a budget.
Cardiovascular – jogging, biking, or playing your sport of choice
Make it a habit to run 3 or 4 times a week. Running where there’s scenery or listening to music will help take your mind off the task of running. For a lower impact exercise take up biking. It’s a little more expensive since you need a bike. If running or biking aren’t your thing find a sport that you enjoy.
Upper Body – push-ups, pull-ups, and dumbbells
Push-ups engage the entire upper body including the abs. There are tons of different variations on the push-up. Pull-ups are another great upper body exercise that target your biceps and back muscles. You can get a pull-up bar that hangs in a door opening for about $30 at walmart. Also, a set of dumbbells can be used for a wide array of upper body exercises.
Core – sit-ups, crunches, and basic ab exercises
There are thousands of products that claim to give six pack abs. However, you can get the same results by doing basic ab exercises.
Lower Body – squats & lunges
Squats and lunges are great exercises that target all the main leg muscles. You can use your own body weight or dumbbells for added resistance.
P90x
P90x is a workout system that incorporates all of these types of exercises. I am actually a user of this system and I am happy to tell you that it works. However, it isn’t easy. I got the DVD set with resistance bands off of Amazon for $70. I started p90x after not working out for over a year. After 3 months of doing p90x I went to a friends house to lift and was surprised when I was able to put up an all time high on the benchpress. Thus, I would highly recommend P90x to anyone who wants to get into shape because it not only gives results but it gives a wide variety of exercises to do so you won’t get bored.
