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Not having money for a gym membership doesn’t mean you can’t get a great workout. All you have to do is get a little creative with things. Being a busy mom there have been times that I have had to think outside of the box to be able to get some exercise in. There are several free ways to workout.
9 Free Ways to Workout (without a gym membership)
I hope you enjoy my suggestions. What have you tried out? Leave a comment and let me know. I’d love to add to the list.
Free way to workout 1 – Public Park
Every town has a park with at least one playground. You can get a total body workout on playground equipment. It’s actually pretty easy. I use dot do this all of the time when my son and I lived in our apartment. There is a playground up the street from the complex that we used to go to all of the time. There is a park that we take our dogs to that has a good playground. You can do so many exercises with the playground equipment. I’ve got an Ultimate Playground Workout post in the works! I will link to it once it’s published.
Free way to workout 2 – Take A Hike
Like parks, most towns have walking or hiking trails. Just check with your local parks system to see what areas have walking trails. Walking has been proven to be as effective of an exercise for your heart as running is. Walking has the added benefit of not jarring your joints. The C25K app is amazing to use for starting to run. I used it back in the beginning when I was first starting to get into shape. Map My Run is another great running app. You can also use it for walking. You’ll need a solid pair of sneakers for walking, hiking, or running. I bought myself a nice Christmas present one year and got fitted at a running store. My Brooks running shoes have been amazing.
Free Workout 3 – Do Yoga at Home!
This is something that I still do often. Yoga has so many amazing health benefits. Not only does it help build strength but it also helps your joints and muscles and aids in flexibility. It’s also a great body-mind connection. You can combine yoga and meditation. You don’t need any equipment to be able to do yoga at home, even a mat is optional! And you don’t need that much space either. This is a perfect activity for just about anyone. Yoga is something that can be modified for any level and any physical limitations that you may have.
There are so many online options for yoga at home. Yogadownload.com is one of my favorites. They have SO many great class options. If you’re going to do yoga at home a yoga mat is a must. If you are exercising on a hard floor a thick one like this one is great. If you’re exercising on a carpet a thinner one like this one will do. In my experience, the thicker ones usually hold up better. Some other useful equipment to have is an exercise ball, yoga blocks, and exercise bands.
Free Workout 4 – YouTube
There are so many great workout videos posted on YouTube nowadays. You just have to search for what you are looking for and you will find literally hundreds of different workouts to choose from. No matter what you are looking for you will absolutely find something on YouTube. There is a class I used to take at my gym called Centergy. If you search for Centergy on YouTube you can actually find full classes! The sky is the limit when you’ve got the internet at your fingertips!
Free workout 5 – Take the Stairs
Do you work in a multi-story building? You might frequent buildings that have more than one level for work or personal business. So take the stairs instead of an elevator. You burn way more calories standing vs. sitting. Here are some fun facts that I got from this article here.
Here are some facts on how many calories a 160-pound person burns to take the stairs:
- 2 calories for one flight of 12 steps, about 0.17 calories per step climbed.
- 5 calories per minute walking slowly upstairs. These are calories they wouldn’t burn standing on an escalator or taking an elevator.
- 11 calories per minute climbing stairs at a fast speed.
- 19 calories per minute running up the stairs.
- 4 calories per minute walking downstairs, about the same as walking on flat ground.
Free workout 6 – Use your Body
Bodyweight exercises can get you a great workout. There are literally hundreds of different exercises that you can do and so many ways to scale them to make them more challenging. Often times my boyfriend and I will do hundreds of pushups and sit-ups on nights we can’t get a lifting session in. You’d be amazed at how hard pushups become when you’ve done a few dozen sets of 10-20! Check out this great body-weight circuit workout here! I also have an entire archive of workouts, most of which can be done at home!
Free workout 7 – Housework
We all have to clean up our living spaces so a certain amount of housework is necessary a few times a week. There’s no reason that you can’t turn your chores into a workout. Try timing yourself to see how fast you can get certain things done. This will really get your heart pumping and be a great source of cardio. You can also do walking lunges when vacuuming, squats when dusting, calf raises while folding clothes and putting them away. The possibilities are endless! In addition to getting your house clean, you get a workout in! Why not make cleaning more fun? What ways do you take advantage of to make the housework more fun?
Free workout 8 – Walk Whenever Possible
If you live in an area where you can walk to things then absolutely take advantage of that! You reduce your carbon footprint AND you will get a great cardiovascular workout in. Walking is a really great way to get some exercise in. This is because your heart will get a similar workout in with walking as it will with running. Take a walk around your building at work, go to a park during your lunch break, or take the dogs for a walk around the neighborhood. Get out and take a stroll!
I don’t live in a city but our city hall is about 2 miles away. They have a movie theater, outdoor amphitheater, and several shops and restaurants to take advantage of. It’s a bit further than you want to be walking but we drive there and we can walk around the area for several hours if desired. In the wintertime they have an ice skating rink, in the summer it’s a splash pad!
Free workout 9 – Free Apps
It really seems like everyone has a smartphone these days. If you do go to your AppStore or Google Play Store and do a search for exercise apps. There are tons and tons of free apps out there for you to use. It doesn’t matter if you want to run, walk, bike, lift, do yoga, or do anything else that you can think of. There is most definitely an app for that! And I’m willing to bet that for every paid app there are at least 2-3 free ones. Nothing says you have to spend money on an app, though you can if you choose to do so. Because sometimes a small investment can have a big return.
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Yes, great ideas to save money and get fit in 2020.
Thank you, Stephanie!
There are so many great apps available! I like nike training club and nike+ for walking/running
Jen, I started with C25K myself!
Yes! Lots of free ways to get in a great calorie burn. 🙂 Thanks for reminding me.
Any time Kale, thanks for reading!
Great post! So many opportunities, we just have to take them, or the stairs 😉
Diana, stairs are an AMAZING calorie burner!
I love Nike Training Club, I usually do some yoga, followed by a 20-45 minute circuit routine from the NTC and finish with the elliptical (which is actually a small under desk version that I put in front of the TV) but hey, it works and it’s free and healthy!
Ariana, I want to get one of those or a bike or stair stepper for at my desk! I need to try the NTC app!
Great ideas for working out without a gym. I love doing Yoga at home!
Lorena, I do too! Thank you! It’s SO easy to get started.
YES! I do all of these! I try to do yoga with my daughter (a toddler!) and couple times a week, and use a couple FREE circuit training apps for my workouts. I can’t wrap my head around why people think you HAVE to go to a gym to get a workout!
I do love my weights but you’re right. You don’t HAVE to go to a gym.
Brilliant! Love your blog — I’m one that is getting back to prioritizing my health and fitness (been a roller coaster kind of ride – lol) and your blog helps me stay motivated. Thank you!
Krista, let me know if you need any advice!