5 Ways to Exercise without a Gym Membership

Leftover Thanksgiving bird, scalloped potatoes, roasted cauliflower and asparagus, red-wine poached pears and pumpkin pie. The last few days have been an exercise in restraint, but I’m not going to lie- I’ve had to unbutton my pants because they seem to have gotten a little smaller. I guess it’s that time again to lace up the runners.

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week to achieve health benefits. The Harvard School of Public Health lists several benefits to physical activity including: decreased risk of heart disease, colon cancer and type 2 diabetes. For what amounts to just over 20 minutes a day, it seems like a no brainer.

These days a gym membership with Goodlife Fitness costs somewhere $60/month not including the $150 initiation fee. I guess that goes to cover your “free” session with the personal trainer. It’s no secret that physical activity leads to a better health and longer life, but there are certainly cheaper ways to lose that rubber tire than to shell out $720/year at the gym. At 20 minutes a day and at the cost of free, the price may just be right to give some of these options a try:

Change it up
Little tweaks to your daily routine may be the easiest way to get in some extra physical activity with the minimal amount of effort. Need to go buy some milk? Walk. Ordering in? Grab a walk-in special from a nearby location. Tired of waiting for the elevator? Take the stairs. Getting groceries? Use a basket instead of a shopping cart.

Release your inner child
The best part about recess was playing tag. More specifically, the kind where the sand box was a giant ocean filled with sharks, which meant you had to avoid the person who’s “it” by climbing and jumping onto anything within reach. Somewhere along the way, we grew up and decided that the only time we have for sharks is during Shark Week and that monkey bars are too dangerous. Chase your kid or roll down a hill. When was the last time you climbed a tree?

Stick with what works
There’s always the traditional route of running, hiking and biking. If this one is intimidating, start small with 1KM and work your way to 3. If you can handle 3, work your way to 5. I use RunKeeper to keep track of my workouts. RunKeeper is an app that can log your distance, pace per KM, calorie burn count and even elevation. You can also keep track of goals and your personal bests.

Go Online
Never has it been easier to find a workout routine that suits your needs. All it takes is a hop online to track down something on YouTube that will get the blood pumping. From Tony Horton’s P90X and Shaun T’s Insanity to Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred. These workouts will push your limits, guaranteed. Emily has Jillian to thank for losing her pregnancy weight.

Social it up
Every fall, “the boys” get together for a bout of flag football. Get your friends together and head to the nearest park. Bring a frisbee for some Ultimate, a basketball to shoot some hoops or a soccer ball to kick around. Competition makes things more interesting and physically challenging.

Get a room
Apparently it can burn up to 200 calories. ‘Nuff said.

There are plenty of practical options to living a healthy and active lifestyle that doesn’t require a gym membership. Physical activity, although sometimes dreaded, is a great way to feel better and the effort it takes is well worth the time invested. Who knows, you may just have some fun along the way.

What do you do to get your heart rate up?