adria.richards/Flickr

This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz

Staying fit and healthy can stop doctor’s bills from rolling in but hitting the gym can be costly. The good news is that there are many affordable ways to get a proper workout without slimming your wallet. Here are some ways to help you reach your fitness goals.

Go back to college – If you still live near your alma mater, many universities offer discounted gym memberships to alumni. Some of these gyms are better than private gyms and include all the amenities. Cost: monthly membership fee.

Hit the pavement – Go jogging or walking around your neighborhood for free. If you want a different scenery head to your nearest park. Remember to carry water to stay hydrated and a cell phone in case of an emergency. Cost: $50-$100/year for running shoes.

Exploit your insurance – Many insurance companies reimburse you half or all of your gym’s fees. Check with your provider to see if they can help you out. Cost: phone call to insurance company.

Take a hike – Need a workout that will get your heart pumping and blood flowing? Try walking on a slope. Hiking can be a great way to get a workout without the monthly dues. Cost: gas to drive to park.

Exercise videos – If you are easily bored with the same workout routine rent exercise videos from your local library for free. Most libraries have a variety of exercise videos ranging from yoga to Tae Bo. But whatever you do, don’t become delinquent with your checked out material or it will end up costing you. Trust me, those fines can quickly add up. Want to avoid the fines? Check out online exercise videos. You can find just about any type of exercise you’re interested in to get moving. Cost: none.

Mooch off your company – There have been studies that show a correlation between healthy workers and an increase in work productivity. Many companies are investing in their workers by helping them pay their monthly gym fees. Check with your company to find out what they can do for you. Cost: visit to your HR department.

mikebaird/Flickr

This is a guest post from John Rowley, a fitness and nutrition expert at the American Institute of Health care & Fitness. His tips to get a million dollar body on a budget are quite practical. I just signed up to ride a 56-mile leg of a triathlon in May, so I’m going to need his advice!

1. Productive Activity

You do not need special equipment for an aerobic workout. Activities most take for granted can become part of your exercise routine.

•    Brisk with no risk. Walking is still one of the best and safest forms of cardiovascular exercise that almost everyone can take advantage of.  Take a brisk walk every day, through your neighborhood or take laps in a local mall.

•    The real stair master. A stair master machine costs thousands of dollars but climbing real stairs is free.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator, or make a full workout of climbing the stairs at home, work or a close by stadium and you will master the stairs.  This is the real deal when it comes to stair masters. 

•    Get in the game. If you have children, don’t just watch them play, get in the game.  Play tag or kickball and have fun and get fit at the same time.  Take a walk to the park, dance around the living room with the kids or take a family bike ride.  Don’t have kids?  Try chasing your puppy around the park, backyard, house or apartment for a very challenging work out.

2. A modest investment for lifetime fitness

If you’re looking for fitness on a budget, these exercise products may be the ticket:

•    Adjustable Dumbbells. PowerBlock makes an adjustable dumbbell that takes up the space of two dumbbells but are adjustable.  Pull the pin and you can raise the weight from 5 lbs to 100 lbs. or more depending on the set you get.  You can use them for a full body workout and they have free online videos to guide you through various work outs. Dumbbells cost less than most gym memberships and once you own them you don’t have to pay for them again.

•    Resistance tubing. These stretchy tubes offer adjustable resistance when you pull on them. Use the tubes for a full body work out and when you are done they fit in a draw. Choose from varying degrees of resistance, depending on your fitness level.

•    Jump-ropes. Skipping rope can be a great cardiovascular workout.

•    Exercise DVDs. Turn your living room into your own private health club.  There are plenty of options to choose from so you are sure to find one you enjoy.

3. Be creative

If you’d rather not spend a penny on exercise equipment, use ordinary household items for a full body work out:

•    Canned goods. Turn caned goods into custom dumbbells.

•    Milk, juice or water jugs. Fill empty containers or jugs with water or sand and seal the top with duct tape.  When your fitness level increases,  simply add more water or sand.

•    Step stools. Use a sturdy step stool for step training — an aerobic exercise resembling stair climbing.

•    Kitchen Chairs. Turn chairs into a dipping station, use the chair for incline push ups, etc.

•    Parks.  Many parks have trails that you can walk or run and the have various stations that allow you to work every body part.

4. Great deals

If you’re interested in a specific exercise class or piece of equipment, shop around.

•    Check out your local recreation department. Many town recreation departments offer discounted fitness classes to local residents. If you live near a high school, college or community center with a fitness center, ask if the facility is available to community members.

•    Used equipment. With this economy many people are selling things they don’t use or never have.  Some sporting goods stores specialize in used equipment, or you can check out listings for exercise equipment in your local newspaper.  You can find incredible deals on used exercise equipment online, many times never used.  Just make sure the cost of shipping won’t put the item out of your budget.

•    Cost share. Outfit your own gym with a friend or neighbor or simply trade exercise DVDs or equipment with a friend so that neither of you gets bored doing the same workout over and over again. Find a personal trainer who’ll let you share the cost of a session with a friend or two.

•    Garbage is garbage regardless of the price. Some fitness products aren’t worth buying, no matter how low the price.  Steer clear of those machines that promise abs over night or great legs or butt with no effort.  You get out of exercise exactly what you put in, put nothing in, get nothing out of it. Very simple. 

•    Expensive Urine. Also don’t waste your money on supplements or other products that claim unbelievable fitness benefits overnight or promise to melt away pounds without diet and exercise.   If it sounds unbelievable it is unbelievable.

5. Think more than just exercise

Take advantage of your insurance and see your physician or other health benefit centers on a regular basis.

• See your Physician: Your Physician can offer specific health/nutrition tips geared towards your body and overall wellness.
• Drink plenty of water: This essentially costs nothing and will help your fitness regimen and boost your body into full gear.
• Sleep, sleep, sleep: Another overlooked free essential, sleep. Get 8 or more hours of sleep a night, and your body will be recharged to take on any level of fitness the next day.

Exercise and your overall wellness can help transform every area of your life, but be careful not to get caught up in the sizzle, look for the steak!  Don’t get caught up in memberships or purchases you can’t afford, fitness doesn’t need to break the bank. Concentrate on your fitness goals — and how to achieve them without breaking your budget.

It’s officially summer and that means late sunsets, beach days, and sit ups. Time to get in shape! I called Helen Ryan, a personal trainer and a single mother of two who is conscious of saving time and money. Here are Helen’s tips.

1. Use your own body weight. “Everyone underestimates the power of the pushup,” she said. “It works every muscle in the upper body.” Put your knees down to start and build up slowly.

2. Take advantage of free equipment. Using a park bench, lower your body with your arms braced behind you. This works the back of your arms, a flabby-prone spot.

3. Purchase a stability ball for under $15. Helen says it is one of the best – and cheapest – pieces of equipment. Place the ball between your back and a wall and roll down into a squat. Lean into the ball to find a comfortable position. This strengths your butt, thighs, inner thighs, hamstrings, and quads. (Stability balls on sale are priced around $10, or check garage sale listings.)

4. While lifting an appropriate-sized weight to curl your biceps, stand on a fluffy pillow. (By comparison, a stability board costs about $130, Helen says). This engages your stomach and core, making it more challenging for your whole body. The more unstable your body is the harder your body has to work.

5. Instead of buying gliding disks (~$15 a pair) use paper plates. In plank position, which is like the start of a push up but your forearms are on the floor, put a paper plate under one foot. Drag the paper plate foot toward your chest to work your core. Carefully work up to 8-10 on each side. To work your butt and outer thigh, drag the paper plate  foot out to the side as if you were outlining an arc.

6. Lunge with paper plates. Standing next to the kitchen counter (or something else you can grab onto), make a slow, smooth lunge by sliding the foot that is on a paper plate forward. You can also lunge out to the side. Hold onto the counter and go slide out and back very slowly.

7. Go for a walk.

8. Buy a piece of exercise equipment called tubing. Tubing comes with handles and costs $10 or less. Mount it in your doorway and use it to work your upper body, front and back. You can wrap the around feet and do biceps pull ups. Here is a list of tubing exercises.

9. BONUS TIP FOR VERY FIT FOLKS! With your arms in push up position put your toes on your stability ball and do an advanced push up. Or pull your knees toward your chest for a tough ab workout. Make this exercise slightly easier by putting your elbows on a coffee table or bench.

For more tips, visit Helen’s web site, FlexYourBody.com.