I Have a Tight Budget, But I Want to Train

We’ve already mentioned that walking is a great place to start exercising (if you’re not already doing it), for a number of reasons, one of those being that you don’t need any special equipment. But, what do you do if you’re ready for more, and gyms, equipment, trainers, etc., just aren’t in your budget?

Once Again, You Already Have Everything You Need

Well, probably. The standard disclaimer applies: before you start any exercise program, consult with your doctor. Make sure there isn’t anything lying in wait, about to become a problem as soon as you step up your program.

Assuming everything checks out with the doctor, you really do already have everything you need to get in better shape—your own body. Planks, pushups, squats, crawling (yes, really), and many other movements will help you build a solid fitness foundation—and there are many people who become very fit doing only bodyweight training.

If you’re truly going it on your own, stick to the basics, and look up free or low-cost tutorials for the exercises you plan to do. If you’re not yet strong enough to do a particular exercise, you can often find good instruction, free of cost to you, on how to modify, or scale the exercise in question so that you can perform it, and built strength that will translate to the more advanced version later.

Take it Steady, But if You’re Ready to Start, Start

It can be intimidating to start any exercise program, but especially so when you feel you lack the equipment and/or instruction you need. That said, if you have enough floor space to do planks or pushups, you have all you need to get started. Take it slow, stick with the basics, but do something. You’ll be glad you did.

Let’s get better together.