Exercise is critical to looking and feeling good, but the high cost of getting in shape is often a barrier for those on a tight budget. In fact, a 2018 Dare to Be Free survey from Freeletics, a fitness app, found that 28 percent of participants said they would exercise more if they could find cheaper alternatives to the gym.
Here’s the good news: You can exercise for FREE by spending time researching options. “You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on expensive gym equipment or trainers,” says Jenny Schatzle, certified personal trainer and founder of Bond Fitness. “There are ways to get in shape all around us.”
Here’s one that just requires you to put on a good pair of shoes and open the door: Go for a walk.
One of the most effective, accessible and inexpensive ways to exercise is walking. Not only is it adaptive to any fitness level, but it’s also easy to fit into your daily routine, says Jessica Smith, certified personal trainer, wellness coach and creator of the Walk On workout series. “Walking helps build aerobic fitness, reduces stress and belly fat and can aid in weight loss,” Smith says. Plus, walking can be an excellent steppingstone to developing a regular exercise habit, she adds.
The human body was designed to move, to walk around. Sitting in chairs at work, in cars, or on the couch is absolutely the antithesis of that. The beauty of walking is that you can do it almost anywhere. You can walk before work, on your lunch break or while running errands; if the weather isn’t holding up, you can take a few laps around an indoor mall to get those steps in.
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