“After the health club fiasco, I decided to search for low-cost and no-cost activities that I could incorporate into my lifestyle. I finally got it. The key to a successful workout is to work with what you have and realize there are many ways of achieving physical fitness. I did not have to join a health club or buy expensive equipment to stay healthy.” Frugal Fitness, stretcher.com
I have thought about a home workout post for a bit now. I am going to try to follow-up with additional posts sometime in the future. The above statement encompasses much of what I believe. Now, this might sound slightly odd coming from someone with a fitness certification, lol. I think you know what I mean, though. The point is to improve and maintain our health, not just line someone’s pockets. I personally have always loved working with trainers in a studio setting, but many are unable to afford those type of sessions (or, simply prefer alternative methods). If I have been at the gym without a coach/trainer, my next-favorite thing has been to have a training partner. I find this keeps me motivated and focused (and, of course, they can help spot you, help with weights, etc.). Home training apps can provide terrific assistance, similar to a training partner. I would love an interactive (talking) app that could keep track of my sets. Right now, my sophisticated method is to wrap elastic bands around my wrists…transferring them (one at a time) to the other wrist when my set is complete. Or, a talking app that would tell me when my rest periods are up would be fab! Maybe they are already out there, and I just have to look for them. 6 Frugal Exercise Tips | financialhighway.com.
Perhaps many of these link suggestions you are already familiar with, but (as I often say) it never hurts to give ourselves a refresher course. My personal approach to working out at home is similar to my WhirlwinDISHes: I use what I have available at the time. My training loves are weight lifting and yoga, but I’ve had occasions where neither was possible (in the traditional sense, anyway). So, I invent methods to either perform the workouts in non-traditional ways, or come up with something else altogether. A brisk walk/hike is always an invigorating alternative for me. It has to be in cooler morning temps, though. This Arizona heat can be a bit much otherwise! I find utilizing day-to-day activities and surroundings can be helpful. Like, when I worked in a multi-leveled office building, I made sure to use the stairwells. Or, I would take the bus part of the way to work, then walk the rest. Dance class is also a fun way for me to get in a bit of cardio. If you have small children, chasing them is probably all the exercise you need, lol 😀 .
One more link:
6 Tips for Frugal Home Workouts
In future posts, I would like to bring out more quirky ways we can (frugally) up our fitness games. I recently batch-cooked a few post-workout snacks, so I wanted to re-share a few recipe links. They are not necessarily for immediate snacking only. I just like to have a few items around that do not require hours of cooking. I’m sure you’re good with your protein shakes, chocolate milk, yogurt, fruit, trail mix, whatever on toast, etc., so I thought I would re-post a few other ideas (for variety). Perhaps I will do an entire recipe-focused post at some point.
32 Detox Drinks (smoothies, juices, & teas)
Healthy Banana “Ice Cream” Made with ‘Fro-Fruitti’ This still looks like the most fun thing to me! So many different variations you could make.
Fritaffles I’ve made these over and over. Super easy and versatile.
Low Cal Granola Bars
This week, I adapted these carrot cake granola bars from this recipe. Then, I went on to make whole wheat carrot cake waffles (some mini, a few cut into quarters).
Waffles are a great on-the-go snack! I just pop them out of the freezer. You can add nuts, chickpea flour, protein powders, etc., for an extra-boost. Same thing for muffins:
How to Make Healthy Muffins from Scratch
Cold Busting Coconut Gummies
I actually made these for before/during workouts. Way back in the day, I would purchase creatine gummies. I started thinking I should make my own gummies (I didn’t use creatine, though). This recipe was actually created to stave off a child’s cold (with lots of anti-inflammatory properties), but it was a great base for what I wanted. You can put all kinds of goodies in them! I made this version with fresh coconut milk, citrus juice, and pineapple. The recipe calls for the ginger and turmeric to be steeped, but I just blended all the ingredients without straining. I used a small portion of the coconut milk to bloom the gelatin & then added the blended ingredients. I also used powdered green tea, powdered & liquid vitamins/minerals, and beetroot powder (for color) this batch. They look like tinned cranberry sauce to me, haha. I used heart-shaped cutters from Valentine’s Day.
Hope you enjoy these frugal home workout tips, & I’ll try to round up some more soon.
Take care!
You must be logged in to post a comment.