Are you looking to hit your fitness goal on a budget? Many people say that to start working towards your fitness goals. You need to stop making excuses. While that may be true sometimes, things aren’t always that simple. Sometimes, there are valid excuses as to why it’s so hard to commit to a fitness regimen — one of those excuses being budget.
It’s harder but not impossible
The ugly truth is that fitness can be a luxury for some people. It’s easy to tell someone to cut down on unhealthy food and start being more physically active, but to what extent? Doing anything significant for one’s fitness can be a lot more difficult for people who are struggling financially.
Healthy food tends to be more expensive than unhealthy options. Cooking is cheaper, but if you’re already struggling to make ends meet, you might not have time to prepare your meals. Workout attire and equipment aren’t necessary for exercising, but they make things easier.
Regardless, being fit and healthy isn’t out of your reach, even if you’re on a budget. In this article, we’ll discuss tricks and practices you can follow to hit your fitness goals without spending much money.
Go outdoors
It’s way easier to engage in physical activity when you’re outside. Taking a jog or cycling around your neighborhood or nearby park is great exercise, and it costs virtually nothing. If you’re lucky enough to live nearby a beach, lake, or hiking trail, you’ll have more options. The trick is to take advantage of what’s available to you outdoors.
Watch free instructional videos
There are many benefits to having a personal trainer, but you don’t need one to hit your fitness goals, especially if you’re on a tight budget. The internet is teeming with free instructional videos that will make it easier for you to work out regularly. YouTube alone is home to thousands of channels providing a wide variety of fitness videos. You won’t have difficulty finding workout videos catering to people of varying fitness levels. There are videos discussing fitness science, providing tips for eating healthy meals, or teaching how to use a particular workout equipment.
You’ll have to sit through a few ads here and there, but that’s something you’ll have to bear unless a premium subscription is within your budget.
Purchase secondhand equipment
Workout equipment can be expensive, but not if you acquire them from the secondhand market. To maximize your budget, you should spend time scouring various used goods websites and local stores for great deals. Many stores offer good quality used sports equipment. You can find running shoes, jumping ropes, weights, and even bikes in good condition, for not much money. The harder you look, the better your chances of finding a great deal. If you’re lucky, you might even find someone willing to part with their used equipment for free.
Use free fitness apps
Alongside tutorial videos from YouTube, free-to-use fitness apps can help you stick to a fitness routine. Apps like Aaptiv and Sworkit offer programs tailored to your fitness goals. They feature audio and video fitness workouts you can easily follow at home. These apps also make tracking your progress easier so you can stay motivated.
Take advantage of discounts and gift cards
Nothing is embarrassing about availing of discounts and using gift cards. After all, you’re trying to stick to a budget. You can visit local gyms and negotiate with the manager for a better deal on a membership. They may even waive fees if you talk to them nicely. Some gyms also offer sliding scale membership fees, so you may pay less depending on your household size and annual income.
If you have friends or family members who also go to the gym, it’s worth asking if they have vouchers or gift cards they can give you. Some gyms offer their members vouchers and gift cards they can share with family members to refer others.
Use your time wisely
If you’re on a tight budget, you are likely already having trouble fitting tasks into your schedule. Between your livelihood, hobbies, and other responsibilities, allocating time for working out can be hard to pull off. You need to be intelligent and creative to make the most of your time. Throughout your day, always look for opportunities to be physically active. Volunteer to walk the dog, play with your kids, and attend meetings.
Opt for cheap and easy-to-prepare dishes for your meals to save time and money. Visit the fitness channels you follow on YouTube and look for budget-friendly, low-calorie recipes like easy on-the-go lunchmeat and weekly meal preparation plans.
The final word on hitting your fitness goal on a budget
The first step to hitting your fitness goals while following a tight budget is to accept that it will be hard. Achieving physical fitness and maintaining it is already a challenging task as is. If you’re determined to attain physical wellness despite your financial woes, you need to be willing to exert more effort and make compromises wherever possible.