This is the way to exercise once you have kids.
While this is what you call cheating!
We all want to be fit and trim, but there are a few things that keep us from looking and feeling our best: inertia, laziness, a hectic schedule, and maybe even a limited budget. As for me, I’ve invested in a stationary bike that I use almost daily while I catch the news on television to relax the brain while I work the body. I did spend a pretty penny on that bike but at least it is well used. I’m not alone about spending on exercise though, since the workout of choice by many of my colleagues involves a gym membership or a mountain bike or an exercise system of some kind or other.
The truth is, you can use any excuse to get out of exercise except perhaps that it is “expensive”, since it doesn’t really take much to get yourself into better shape. Here are some absolutely free ways to move your body! You can even make a bit of money on a few of these activities.
No Excuses! Ways To Exercise For Free
#1 Go jogging.
You can jog almost everywhere — parks, streets and even in place. When nobody’s looking, I lightly jog at my own space at work. That and I perform some stretching exercises… it’s good for ergonomics and helps keep the energy up throughout the day.
#2 Take a hike.
Those who live in the city have everything at their fingertips. You don’t even have to have the requisite two cars a household to be mobile. Just by walking to wherever you need to go, you’re a healthier leg up over everyone else! Those who live in the country can find a trail or two and incorporate hikes in their schedule. And wherever you go, take the stairs.
#3 Rent exercise videos….from the library.
The library is a treasure trove for a lot of cool stuff. With the variety it offers, you can borrow quite a few exercise videos and books to help you pin down your workout of choice.
#4 Check out free television and internet exercises.
Even more encouraging are the free workouts you can get from various forms of media these days. There are internet sites that can provide you with step-by-step instructions and videos for routines you can regularly use. Television programs devoted to workouts have been around since time immemorial and cheesy or not, they do the job (if you’re shy about following along with the show, just watch it in private).
#5 Babysit.
If you have your own kids, then you’ll probably agree that handling kids can help keep you fit. If you don’t, you can experience the wonderful world of toddlerhood by volunteering or signing up for a babysitting job. The best ages to babysit for the purpose of getting yourself moving are those toddler years (2 through 5) because you’re compelled to carry, lift, run, chase and follow these little people around all day. Here are also some suggestions for incorporating your baby into your exercise routine.
#6 Maintain your yard.
Be your own gardener. Work on your yard all year long and you’ll have more than your heart going — best exercise of all is to push that lawnmower around especially if you have a large lawn. Or even better, install your own drainage. All that digging should be great for upper body strength and endurance.
#7 Clean out or organize your house.
Have you checked your attic, basement and closets lately? Well, from first-hand experience, I can say that hauling all the clutter from their previous storage areas and turning them into an organized system of boxes for sale, donation pick ups or just further storage will get your blood pumping. Even just pushing around a several pound vacuum cleaner instead of relying on a Roomba, or sweeping your garage floor should oil your joints. But make sure your back isn’t too vulnerable.
#8 Use someone else’s sports or exercise equipment.
Have you checked under your bed lately? All around the nation, there is a glut of unused exercise equipment sitting around in garages and hiding in spare rooms and basements. You could have these things right under your very nose — if not at your own home, they could be sitting somewhere in a friend’s or relative’s home, sadly unused. It may be a good idea to resurrect these neglected items for active use once more.
#9 Volunteer or get active work (full or part-time).
If you have a desk job, then doing some volunteer work for the community that may involve a little activity may not only be good for your conscience but also for your health. And if you’re able to, maybe that choice to apply a little bit of your own muscle into your work schedule by choosing a more active job could actually serve as the backbone (pun intended) of your healthy lifestyle.
and last but definitely not least….
#10 Have sex.
According to a fellow blogger, sex can be pretty financially rewarding (ummm… not in the way you think of course). Many studies show it’s pretty good exercise:
This activity performed at least three times a week can cut the risk of a heart attack in half. Researchers started out studying the benefits of vigorous exercise, looking at an activity lasting 20 minutes or longer and making the exerciser sweaty or out of breath. Most of the men they questioned thought that sex fit this description just as well as soccer.
Want more exercise? You can get more ideas and suggestions here.
Image Credit: Thanks to Fitness With Jules!
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Sex to keep fit! Now that’s something everyone will want to do, hehe.
Though I’m extremely lazy 5, 6, 7, and 10 make the most sense to me. Babysitting can actually earn you money. Ditto for yard work.
Organizing your home has it own benefits.
And sex… oh my, you should have just started and ended with that one.
I agree sex is good exercise !
Girl, you seem to get the perfect pics for your blog titles, love it.
Um…so if one doesn’t get in 20 full minutes of intercourse, does wild making out count? Or does it have to be thrusts? No reason.
Wow, this conversation is getting hot in here. What other way than to spice up the money talk with some sex talk.
Lazy: seems you’re the type who enjoys exercise as incorporated into daily living. That should be the easiest way to do it — doing chores ourselves instead of outsourcing it should work up the sweat. This is actually a great strategy for those who aren’t eager about focused exercise (like the digerati spouse who prefers to get his exercise from walking and playing with kids).
Mrs. Micah: you’re making me turn beet red here. I suppose anything that makes you ultra excited should get the circulation going. What about those people who aren’t into the wild sort of stuff, then whatever they’re doing may not count for much exercise…?
Besides #10 (I committed to become my wife’s personal trainer
), we bought a stroller made for jogging (3 wheels) and it works perfectly fine! on top of that, for those of you that live in a winter country like me, it’s the perfect stroller to go on a walk when there is 12 inches of snow (I guess you don’t have this problem in Silicon Valley!)
[...] The Digerati Life tells us the top 10 cheapest ways to exercise (10 is sex!) [...]
Yeah, I was a bit red when I wrote it. I hear “sex” talked about as exercise…but sex can be so many different things. Someone needs to come up with one of those nifty calories-per-hour charts for the different….er….techniques.
So I guess right pedal - left pedal - right pedal doesn’t count as exercise?
-Raymond
The Financial Blogger: That concept of stroller on snow is something totally foreign to me. I am so far and away the antithesis of a “snow bunny” as you can imagine. I don’t think I can live in a place that is cold and snowy as I don’t have the constitution for it unfortunately!
But if you live in a place with a cold climate, all the more reason you can get your exercise in and warm up when all else is freezing around you!
Mrs. Micah / Money Blue Book: What a great idea on that calories-per-counter thing! Well I actually found a few! Here are a couple for your enjoyment:
Sex calorie counter 1
Sex calorie counter 2
LOL!
In #10, I assume it’s more effective if it’s WITH someone?
Heh. I wonder how many times the word ‘thrusts’ comes up in personal finance blogging in that context. Probably not often enough
Good list. I’m trying to add “never take the elevator” to mine… which is a challenge, I work on the 7th floor of a high-rise building, not to mention up-and-down the NYC subway system stairs twice a day. But it’s surprisingly good exercise, too.
[...] the Digerati Life gives ideas for cheap ways to exercise. I love the second pic in her post. It cracks me [...]
Hi,
) Most people don’t get very energetic while having sex, nor do they use positions that are… er… muscularly challenging.
Sex is not actually that good of an exercise (which shouldn’t discourage you from having sex!
The rest of your suggestions are great, but I do have one more. Buy a set of weights. They cost around 10 to 30 dollars and you can use them to get a complete workout every single day.
I run a health and exercise blogs and this is one of the most common issues I hear about from readers. Too many people think that exercise is just about moving around. While that’s great, you also need some more structured routines and weights are the best way to do those. You don’t need a gym membership or a thousand dollar home exercise machine. Just a $20 set of dumbbells and around 10 minutes a day.
Gal
I agree with bripp blap. Taking the stairs is a great way to sneak exercise in…and is free!
[...] The Digerati Life gives ten cheap ways to exercise. [...]
SVB,
Fully agree on #5. I must be getting stronger from lifting, carrying and playing with my daughter:-)
[...] blogs, but this one caught my attention. It’s from the Digerati Life and it talks about cheap ways to exercise. A lot of people I meet think exercise is something you can only do if you have a lot of money. [...]
[...] Digerati Life gives us the top 10 cheapest ways to exercise. [...]
[...] Hey man, give me a break, I just figured out the cheapest ways to exercise so I can save money on my gym [...]
[...] SVB lists the 10 cheapest ways to exercise - a list I should memorize. [...]
cool list. i think that lady in the pic pushing the baby from the 2 wheel machine is stupid. thats looks so dangerous.
[...] Valley Blogger presents Top 10 Cheapest Ways To Exercise posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "Thank [...]
Now this has to be one of the most interesting comment dialogues I’ve ever read on a PF blog.
Goodness!
[...] in Exercise at 8:37 pm by Maria I’m always looking for cheap ways to exercise and this link really cracked me [...]
[...] to exercise more? Before you join the gym, read Top 10 Cheapest Ways To Exercise by the Silicon Valley Blogger. It’s a great post, and I love the pictures, too! Now I just [...]
Also, here’s a site that has a new one hour yoga video session each day (for FREE!): http://www.yogatoday.com
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Weight Management and Fitness Forum 5th Edition …
Welcome to the Fifth Edition of the Weight Management and Fitness Forum. We appreciate everyone\’s support and participation. We hope you enjoy the article selections for this edition. Find out more about the next edition of this forum at the end of …
Wow that second pic has to be the funniest thing i ever seen and then ppl wonder why there getting so fat. I mean… my god..
[...] Valley Blogger presents Top 10 Cheapest Ways To Exercise posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Thank [...]
[...] Silicon Valley Blogger wrote about the Top 10 Cheapest Ways to Exercise. She points out (in addition to getting DVDs from the library, as I mentioned) there are other places to access free workouts: Check out free television and internet exercises. Even more encouraging are the free workouts you can get from various forms of media these days. There are internet sites that can provide you with step-by-step instructions and videos for routines you can regularly use. Television programs devoted to workouts have been around since time immemorial and cheesy or not, they do the job (if you’re shy about following along with the show, just watch it in private). [...]
[...] check out a complete list of budget-conscience exercise options and get [...]
I can’t believe things like the 2nd pic still exist. And yes, sex is definitely a good exercise that reaps healthy benefits! Sadly, people do them not for the benefits though.. haha.
Thanks for participating in this week’s Carnival of Family Life, hosted at Discussing Autism. The Carnival will be live tomorrow, so stop by and enjoy some of the other many articles contributed this week!
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[...] Valley Blogger presents Top 10 Cheapest Ways To Exercise posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Babysitting is one way to get free [...]
I agree that the sex is the best exercise!
I would add taking the stairs when going to work. Get off the elevator 2-3 floors short and then walk the rest.
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[...] Ten Cheapest Ways to Exercise. If money is a concern, it shouldn’t stop you from exercising. Follow these tips for easy and inexpensive ways to do it. [...]