7 Ways to Get Fit Without Going to the Gym

As a negative-cash-flow writer, who left a perfectly good job to pursue a passion, I am keenly conscious of money. When it comes to fitness, there’s no more gym membership in our budget, and that’s okay, because I don’t need one. With a little bit of imagination and creativity, getting fit and staying fit is easy—and fun.

1. Cardio – Do you have dogs? I do, and I walk them every day. Bad weather? I walk in the basement. If I didn’t have a basement to walk in, I’d run up and down the stairs. If I didn’t have stairs, I’d run in place or do some cardio with a library DVD.
2. Strength Training – If you have weights, that’s great. Go ahead and use them. What’s the best weight? You! Need exercises because your upper arms look like wings? Do push ups. Do them with your arms spread wide, then with your arms next to your body, and then with your hands together. Those are all the arm exercises you’ll ever need, ladies.
3. Stretches – Husband Jim and I do 20 minutes of stretching every morning. They are the seven meridian (lines of energy) stretches from Michio Kushi’s The Macrobiotic Way that are a cross between yoga and reflexology. They’re a great way to limber up and get ready for the day.
4. General Activity – Furlough the housekeeper and the gardener. Cleaning your own home and doing your own yard work doesn’t take much more time than if you traveled back and forth to a gym five days a week and worked out and showered there.
5. Diet – Figure out how many calories you should consume each day (freedieting.com  has a calculator). Stick to that many calories. Limit your fat intake. Watch your carbs. Eliminate sugar. Plan your menus for the week and cook your own meals. America, take back your kitchens!
6. Drink Water – It seems ironic that drinking water would help one lose weight, but it does. Drinking water can curb hunger and boost metabolism. In addition, it can flush toxins (and calories) out of your system.
7. Mind Games – Condition one of the most-important muscles in your body—your brain. Challenge your brain, and you’ll manufacture new nerve pathways to stave off dementia. Solve brain teasers and puzzles. And here’s a good one: Reading. Take some time to sit down with a book, newspaper, or magazine. Tell your family that you’re exercising your brain. Check out this Wall Street Journal article, “How to Keep Your Brain Fit.”

So, there you have it. Seven ways to stay fit without breaking the bank. Let me know if you have even more ways to stay fit on the cheap!

Ann Silverthorn writes about a wide variety of topics in numerous genres. She’s currently working on a biography of William E. Dimorier (1871-1951), a nearly forgotten poet and educator, who dedicated his life to the betterment of young people.

Twitter: @annsilverthorn

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