When it comes to exercise, this has to be one of the complaints I hear most. Many people associate exercise with two things – gym contracts and personal trainers. Educating them about other forms of exercise is the first step in making fitness accessible to everyone, not just those privileged few. Also, those siting no budget as a reason for zero exercise need a broader perspective on health costs: chronic illness and disease can, in most cases, be traced back to toxic lifestyles and long-term unhealthy habits. Some small, consistent changes made over time can significantly contribute to a healthier – and more financially stable – you in the future.
Some costs of unhealthy habits
You’d be surprised just how much an unhealthy lifestyle costs you.
- Smoking is a money-cruncher.
- The healthier you are, the lower your premiums for health and life insurance.
- Health costs relating to being overweight or obese have been estimated to cost the individual an average R6500-R10 000 each year.
- Chronic health issues can rack up serious pharmacy bills, with repeat costs of prescription drugs, chronic medication and hospital visits.
- Health affects work performance and opportunity for progression.
There is no one who is quite seriously unhealthy who is not setting themselves up for serious bills either in the near or far future.
So, if you’re going to forego traditional forms of paid fitness, how do we get our mind in the right place and get started?
General things to remember
Choose quality over quantity. Make your workout time count by upping your intensity, replacing long, medium intensity workouts for short bursts of hard training. 20-30 minutes can be all it takes to really change your body. Getting your heart rate up appropriately means you’ll burn calories after your workout as well.
Schedule your workouts. When you’ve got a gym contract , weekly sessions with a trainer, or you’ve paid for classes in advance, you’re far less likely to skip a session. But if you’re training from home, it’s important to approach your workout with the same convictions. Do what you need to do to commit to a workout time – turn off your phone, let your family know you’re unavailable for 30 minutes, and have your workout space cleared already.
Explore your free options out there
A little bit of detective work in your area might return some exciting results. Trail runs, structured fitness classes and free outdoor gym equipment are available in many local areas.
Have a look at the following free fitness opportunities:
SUNfit (free supervised fitness classes held daily)
Parkrun (timed 5km runs held weekly)
Green Outdoor gyms (outdoor gym equipment located in public areas; durbanites will have seen a great one in Bulwer Park)
Lungile Health trails (trail running groups that meet weekly with no charge and a planned, structured route)
Using your surroundings
Every town or city has its own unique advantages when it comes to training outdoors. Here are some general ideas:
Running is an obvious one- Running up hills: inclines are the best form of adding resistance to your run
- Walking through beach water: walking along the beach about thigh high in the water – that is a tough workout! You’re walking on an unstable surface and have plenty of liquid resistance
- Jungle gyms: There is so much ‘equipment’ to work with there. Ropes to climb, monkey bars for pull ups and ab lifts. There may even be a trampoline.
Training at home
Training at home is one of the most perfect environments to train – you don’t need to worry about what you wear, there is no commute and you can multi-task as you train by keeping your eye on the stove or washing. And, of course, it’s free.
Exercises that can be done with no equipment:
- Push ups
- Dips off your bed
- Travelling lunges
- Squats
- Stairs
- Planks
Resistance
By now we all know that cardio alone isn’t going to cut it. So how do we practice resistance training at home – with no weights?
Buying resistance: This is a worthwhile, once-off investment that will benefit your workouts indefinitely.
- Investing in 2 pairs of dumbbells is great
- A resistance band
- Ankle weights are really incredible
Free resistance: If buying resistance equipment is not an option, ask yourself how you can add weight to exercises.
- 2 or more pairs of old pantyhose makes a great resistant band
- Tricep dips off the bed – lift one foot onto the opposite knee for a more intense dip
- Push ups – go off the bed for an elevated move. And guys? Go against the wall!
- Squats and lunges? What weight can you add? A backpack stuffed with books is a good one. You could even weigh your books if you want to get specific.
Get tech savvy
We’re living in the tech age, and there are plenty of ways it can work to our advantage.
Invest in fitness DVDs: these are still one of the most effective tried and tested ways to follow a supervised workout at home.
Get fitness apps: if you have a smart phone, there are some great fitness apps that can structure quick home routines for you.
Free workouts online: There are so many online platforms that happily supply free workouts for your benefit. Here are some specifically geared for home/equipment-free workouts.
100 no equipment workouts
99 workouts, no equipment
equipment free workouts for women
Top free apps:
- Workout Trainer
- JEFIT
- Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout App (Free; Android, iOS)
- Sworkit
- Runtastic Six Pack Abs
- FitStar
Step it up: Get a pedometer and track how many steps you take each day. This is a great motivator to squeeze in a few extra steps when you wouldn’t normally, as you will be able to monitor your fitness levels daily. Challenge your spouse or work colleagues to walk the most steps in a day, with some kind of weekly or monthly incentive.
Youtube: there is an endless supply of workout ideas, demonstrations and full length training programmes. Step by step tutorials make this fool proof.
Follow a star: We have huge amounts of content at our disposable, and the professionals are so prepared to share. Find reliable fitness professionals online and enjoy free, daily advice.
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