How to Lose Weight on a Budget

Even if you haven’t been personally effected by the current economic problems, you probably are trying to keep spending to a minimum. At times like this it is hard to justify a gym membership, but I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to. There are so many fun ways to get fit without sending your budget into a tail spin. I was able to lose 100 pounds in a year and so can you! Here are some of the activities I used to lose weight without ever paying for a fitness club membership.

Rollerblading was the primary method I used to lose weight. Every day (weather permitting) I put on my inline skates and went out to the local park. On days that I really didn’t feel like exercising I may have skated a little less, but I made sure I went for at least 20 minutes. If you don’t already own a pair of rollerblades, you can purchase a good pair from your local sports store for about $80. That is less than the start up fees of most gym memberships! That’s an excellent way to lose weight on a budget if you ask me. You don’t need to rollerblade to lose weight, there are many other great exercises out there. You could jog, bike, follow a workout video, or swim. You should ensure that you pick at least one high endurance exercise. The most important things to remember when you select an exercise that is that you pick something you enjoy. This is needs to be an exercise you can use to challenge yourself, and motivate yourself to do every single day.

Hiking is another exercise that can be a lot of fun. Because this frequently require more travel time than your daily high endurance exercise you likely won’t be able to do it every day. Hiking is an excellent exercise that you can do on a budget because the only cost involved is a sturdy pair of shoes and occasionally a minimal parking fee. Hiking is also a good choice because you can do it with your family, so instead of spending money on a movie or a dinner out you can take your family for a hike. If you pack a picnic lunch you can make a day trip out of it, and not only will it be good for the budget because it is cheaper than other activities but it will also help you lose weight because you will be active all day long.

Wii Fit is also a great way to lose weight, and it is so much fun! If you’ve already purchased the Nintendo Wii for your children you can buy the Wii Fit for under $80. There are a number of great exercises included in this game including Rhythm Boxing which is a very great way to lose weight without spending much money. Additionally the Wii Fit includes a number of strength training exercises which are essential if you want you manage your weight on a budget. The most important thing a gym membership offers is the use of their weights and exercise machines. No mater what you do you need to focus on building muscle mass as well as doing cardio workouts. The more muscle you have the more calories your body will burn at rest so even if you don’t use the Wii Fit you should make sure you schedule a daily routine to do push ups, sit ups and other exercises. If you do end up purchasing the Wii Fit you won’t just be buying one game, there are a number of other games coming out in the near future including Golds Gym Cardio Workout which is scheduled to be released in March 2009.