Getting in Shape Without Going Broke

Fitness can mean paying for a gym membership, then feeling pressured to buy "cool workout clothes" to wear to this gym, and more! In other words: It can be quite a costly venture! However, it doesn't have to. Here are some tips that can cut down on the cost to cut down your weight!

1. Try using a free online fitness plan like Couch to 5K or Stew Smith's 45-Day Beginner's Plan to plan your daily workouts. Both of these are designed to do at home - which means no gym membership fees, and no worries about looking dorky in your old sweatpants. (Before starting any fitness plan, check with your doctor and all that jazz!)

2. Make your own weights. Fill up empty Gatorade or two-liter soda bottles with water to do strength training workouts. As you increase your strength, you can replace the water with something heavier, like gravel.

3. Don't pay for workout videos. Instead, check out workout DVDs from your local library or stream them online for free on sites like ExerciseTV or Bodybuilding.com 

4. Get support from other folks for free online. Websites like sparkpeople.com provide message boards, recipe sharing, newsletters, and more.

5. Get a free pedometer. Livestrong.com has some great tips about how to do that here!

...Here's to another cheap -- and healthy -- week, friends!