Losing weight without losing money
There is a reason you have to sign a contract to join a gym. Most people are all motivation for the first two weeks of their membership before realising the gym is not a practical commitment they can keep up. By that stage its too late to renege on your contractual obligations and you’ll spend the next 10 months of your 12 month membership period feeling guilty about not going often enough and cursing that monthly direct debit from your account – all whilst not shedding a kilo. Gym memberships will cost you thousands whether you go or not.
That said, your health is more important than your money or your savings and you should never ever lose sight of that, even when saving hard. Losing weight is paramount to your health if you’re overweight. The gym is not the only way to lose weight though. There are a whole range of tools available to you that are free or cost next to nothing.
Ditch your gym membership and get it out there
Run, run, run. It doesn’t really make sense to pay a gym to use their treadmill when you have legs which work quite well on stationary ground. It can be hard to get into a running regime but once you push through the one week barrier it will become less chore like. Our advice is to read up on the best ways to start a jogging routine rather than just sprinting off full steam.
Tip: There’s a great iPhone app called ‘Get Running’ which will assist you in breaking the “beginners barrier”. It’s an interval training program set over a few weeks and by the end you’ll be able to run 5kms without stopping, no matter your weight or age (within reason). The best thing about the app is you can have your iTunes tracks playing in the back ground and a polite voice will interrupt every now and then to tell you to run or walk. It costs $2.49 – or the price of a bottle of water at the local gym.
Get those muscles pumping
If your goal is to lose weight, not become the next Mr/Miss Olympia, then you don’t need the full weights set available at the gym. In fact, for most exercises there is enough resistance in your own body to burn the calories required to lose weight. All you need to do is become familiar with a range of exercises that suit your fitness goals and then improvise with equipment.
The best way to learn a range of exercises is to hit the net, check out Youtube, buy or borrow a book, or download an iPhone app. We recommend the ‘Women’s Health Workouts’ and ‘Means Health Workouts’ apps – a bible of hundreds of exercise and workouts categorised based on their anticipated results, each using minimal or no equipment, both for around $2.50.
Next, get creative with equipment – use heavy cans from your pantry as light weights, implement steps and staircases into your work out, use park benches as gym benches and fences to stretch.
The bare minimum
Some equipment is really useful to incorporate into your routine, although not essential. We recommend:
For ladies – A fitball, a yoga mat and a set of light weights (between 2kgs and 5kgs). It’s possible to get all three items for under $50.00 – or the price of three casual visits to the gym!
For men – If you’re really keen on getting buff and big, it might be worth investing in a full set of free weights and a bench. Steer clear of Rebel Sport however! Scour eBay and www.gumtree.com.au for second hand benches and save a small fortune.
Final tip
It’s a great idea to use the money you’ve saved on your gym membership to purchase private health insurance. That way you’ll never be crippled financially if something untoward happens and you suddenly need an expensive treatment or surgery. These days, private health insurance often also covers alternative treatments like acupuncture and aromatherapy and products such as running shoes. Beats a free gym bag.
One last for people considering Fitness First
We wrote a great article on how to reduce your Fitness First membership recently, so if you do decide to stick with the gym, why not get a great deal?
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