DISCLAIMER: I am not a certified health professional. Use caution when exercising and consult your doctor before engaging in strenuous exercise.
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.
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
Buy a bicycle and ride it!. I’m 64 and have been biking at least semi-seriously for 46 years. I weigh about the same as I did when I was 30, and yesterday did a 38 mile ride, without feeling too tired. Coming up the last long hill, a guy probably in his 30s couldn’t keep up.
Get a bike!
Ride it often!
@Frugal Dad… That’s awesome! I ride my bike often, but I get pretty tired at around 20 miles!
As far as getting in shape for little money, though I’m not in great shape, a jumprope has proven to be a great way for me to get in a quick workout anywhere I go.
Ug, the jump rope. I have one hanging in my closet. I always think I’m in great shape until I jump rope. 🙂
Yes! Cycling is THE best. I ride outdoors. Started four years ago. Great way to save on gas, get in shape, fresh air, sunshine (vitamin D). Frugal Dad, that’s awesome. I have a Spin client who is 72 and can kick my butt on the road. :-0 BDD, keep the majority of your rides at 20, then do some longer ones – pushing it maybe to 27-30 miles. Then do a majority at 25 miles, and push occasionally to 30-35.
You will be able to ride longer and longer without getting tired, but remember there’s a time investment, too, with the longer rides. Sometimes 20 is just perfect. Jump rope wonderful too. So many ways to get, and stay, in shape. It really is fun to use your imagination.
Helen … I need help with this one, “Using a park bench, lower your body with your arms braced behind you. This works the back of your arms, a flabby-prone spot.” I really need to get rid of this turkey waddle. Problem is I can’t get this in my head…the positioning. Can you help clear this up for me. And…I am 63. Will I be able to do this? Fairly good shape.
Ima, I can help explain this. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground (your knees will be bent at a 90 degree angle). Put your hands on either side of you, next to your hips. Lift yourself up with your arms and scootch away from the bench so your tush hangs over the ground. Lower and raise your body a few inches using your arms. Hope that helps!
Thanks BB! I have got it now, but not sure I can do this! Thanks…
Hi Ima. BB is correct. And to make it easier, keep your feet closer your butt. To make it harder, move your feet further away (legs straighter).
Otherwise: 1) Grab a decent weight (yes, women LIFT), lay on a bench or even the floor, lift your arms straight up so they form a 90% angle to your body. Bend at the elbows and lower the weights down by your ears, keeping the upper arms and elbows from shifting position. Extend hands back up so arms are straight again. 2) If you have tubing, secure in doorway and, keeping elbows to sides, bend at elbows so lower arms form 90% angle to your body (like carrying a box). Extend arms straight down, then bend back up. 3) Do push ups against the wall, but place hands very close together and focus on slowly pushing yourself away from the wall. This is MUCH harder than it sounds. 🙂 But effective.
Always think slow, deliberate movements and to see the most results, work until your muscle screams “no more!”
Thanks so much Helen. May I ask another question? I have muscle cramps in my legs…have been to drs and they find nothing wrong, so on to this. I have cramps in the quadriceps and hamstring area. But also in the calfs. The pain from the quads is awful! May be from not enough exercise. Is there any exercise in particular that I can do to help these areas? I can’t afford to go to a personal trainer. Hope you can advise…
That’s really a question for the doctor, but let me ask…. Are you are on cholesterol lowering medication? They are known for causing muscle cramps. Maybe not enough potassium? And some people are “crampers.” I can’t imagine how much those large muscle group cramps hurt Don’t give up. Maybe see a sports med doctor, even though you may not feel you are “into” sports. They are more familiar with the demands of exercise on the body.
Thanks Helen…I am not on any cholesterol lowering drugs, statins or otherwise. I take Metformin and that is it. I won’t give up. Thanks…