I’ve had something of a tough year financially here in Portland State and I have had to started cutting a few things back, don’t get me wrong, I’m not destitute but I as a proud student, the last thing I need is to borrow any more money for my education. The time comes every now and then that you need to just trim the spends down a little. Having enlisted the help of our family friend, Heather Weber Merrill Lynch accountant no less, I have began to cut down on the things that are not necessary spends.
One such are of my life which I have cut out is my gym membership, it was tough to do but I decided that there were still ways and means that I could stay in shape for free. Gyms can be very expensive and if you don’t think you could love without it then check out these ways of exercising for free and then ask yourself if you really need that membership.
Running
The most basic and easiest of exercises is running and guess what, you don’t need a treadmill to be able to go running. I have started doing laps around my local park and I have recently found a great 4km country trail which I can run around to stay in shape. Running is the best cardio workout that you can do and running outside is something that I love far more than stomping away on a boring treadmill. This way I get fresh air and see a bit of nature. Try to avoid running on concrete if you can as it isn’t great for your knees, find a park or a field and get going.
Yoga
I know what you’re thinking ‘yoga classes aren’t cheap’ and whilst you are right on the money with that one, there is an alternative that is absolutely free, YouTube. Thats’ right, there are literally thousands of videos on YouTube which will talk you through how to get started with yoga and you can also find full classes on there for a range of levels whether you are a beginner, amateur or a pro. Yoga makes for a great exercise and you can do it for free in the comfort of your own home.
MeetUp
One of the best decisions I made recently was to setup a Meetup group for people who wanted to get in shape. Around 25 people attended and all brought their own little nuggets of information to the table. We now take turns on campus giving the class based on things we have learned online and we have two classes each week. These classes have not only helped me to make new friends but also helps me stay in shape, absolutely free. We do a variety of exercises from Tabata to aerobics and there are now 36 people in the group. Who says you need a gym!!