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11 May 2008 07:20 AM

Fitness on a Shoe-String Budget

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

In a time where rising gas rates are making everyone rethink their plans (from vacation travel to how to get to work), finding a way to put fitness on a shoe-string budget is a good idea. While you may think that not having money to join a gym, much less get to the gym would limit your options, the best news of the day is that a fitness budget doesn't have to cost anything outside of a few dollars to invest in a good pair of shoes if you don't have one and maybe some resistance bands or a balance ball. Altogether the above won't cost you more than $50 to $60 total.

That's it.

Good Shoes

Good shoes are a must because whether you walk, ride a bike or work out in your living room, you want to take care of your feet. A regular course of walking can build endurance and burn calories. You can walk anywhere and at anytime, really and you don't need a treadmill to accomplish that. Summer time is also great bike riding weather and like walking, you can do it with friends and family. My daughter and I have a lot of plans for our bikes this summer, including short trips to the grocery store as needed for quick pickups - it's good for fitness and it saves on gas money.

Resistance Bands

A couple of resistance bands at Target cost about $10 each. You can use resistance bands for working out, stretching and muscle building. For example, if you sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and wrap the resistance bands under your feet, you can complete the rowing motion used on a rowing machine. This builds upper body strength and is a good abs workout. Most resistance bands come with recommended exercises and ideas.

Balance Balls

The balance ball is a fantastic tool for fitness. You can use it for sit ups, back stretches, weight training and so much more. It doesn't take up a lot of space in storage and it can help you to achieve an all over body workout. Not a bad thing in the great grand scheme of things.

What else can you do to keep fitness on a shoe-string budget?

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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