Many of us would want to have a fit and healthy body; however aside from the lack of time, another factor that hinders us from carrying on a workout regime is financial resources. Not all can afford to sign up for a membership on the gym nor have the resources to buy expensive workout equipment like treadmill, exercise bikes, elliptical trainers and the like. But don’t be disheartened, you can still have an active lifestyle and be religious with your workout sessions without having to spend a lot of your savings account. Just be creative and resourceful by maximizing the things around you that you can use. Read on for the DIY tips on how to carry on your workout sessions on a budget.
- Walking in Local Parks – Walking is a great way to be mobile if you want to add physical activity in your daily routine. Walking is the easiest forms of physical activity and one of the best places to take a walk is your local parks. Walking in your local parks will not only get you active, it can also provide the joy and relaxation of being outdoors. If you take a walk at least 30 minutes a day, you will reap a lot of benefits without spending a dime! Walking can help lower the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. It can also help you have a strong immunity and fight off sickness, reduce joint pain, maintain or lose weight and keep your bones and muscles strong.
- Go Hiking – If you want to build muscles and burn calories but get bored going to the gym, you may want to try hiking. Hiking is a fantastic workout that is fun and provides a great travel experience and nature immersion. It offers a lot of health benefits such as burning a lot of calories and making you toned, it also boosts your endurance and muscle content. Hiking is also known to make you happy and help combat depression and stress. For you to be able to get the maximum hiking experience, make sure that you are well-prepared days before your hiking trip. You would need to have cardiovascular endurance so prep yourself by doing hiking preparation workouts like walking on incline in the treadmill.
- Swimming – Have you ever looked at the famous swimmers’ body like Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte and wonder why they do not have an ounce of fat in their body? Swimming is a great total-body workout routine that burns a lot of calories. Unlike going to the gym where you have to plan a specific workout for a certain muscle, swimming sculpts and strengthens your entire body. Swimming does not require you to spend a lot, all you need is just a swimwear, cap and goggles and you are good to go. An hour of moderate swimming is known to burn around 500 calories and it is also an ultimate aerobic activity.
- DIY Gym Equipment – You do not have to spend hundreds of dollars on gym membership or buying your own gym equipment to be able to maintain a healthy workout session. Do-It-Yourself trends are fast rising nowadays due to its convenience and cost-saving help. You just need to be resourceful and creative in making your own gym equipment.
- DIY Hand Weights – Hand weights provides extra resistance for your arm and shoulder muscles. You can start off with lighter weights , then gradually increase the weights slowly. There are a lot of stuff in your kitchen that you can use as hand weights. You can use 15oz cans of vegetables as weights for starter as they are easy to grip and weighs nearly a pound. You can gradually add the weight by putting two bags of beans in a sock to make it a 2-lb weight.
- Sandbag – Sandbags are much better than barbells or dumbbells since the weight moves around in the bag so you would have to use more muscle fibers to keep the weight steady. You can purchase an inexpensive sandbag and fill it up with your desired material like sand, gravels, pebbles or anything that will give weight to your bag. Then you can tie the sand bag and place it into a bigger bag or backpack and you are good to go.
- DIY Dumbbells – You can work out in the convenience of your home with the use of these DIY Dumbbells. You can create one using an empty soda bottles filled with sand. If you want more weights on your dumbbells, just increase the amount of sand that you put in.
- Gardening – Gardening is a great workout regime which is totally free and beneficial to your body. You can burn 150 to 300 calories if you do gardening 30 to 45 minutes a day. Aside from burning those stubborn calories through watering the flowers, digging, weeding, raking, hoeing and planting, it is also a relaxing experience as being one with nature helps you be calm and releases the anxiety and pressures of everyday life.
Using Local Park Equipments– Head to your local playground or park for a fun yet super effective workout session. You can use equipment like benches, balance beams, slides and monkey bars. Some parks have gyms that have park exercise equipment like best treadmills, pull-up bars, battling Ropes and other gym equipment