How do poor people exercise?

12467

Replies

  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    If it's a priority you find a way.

    Craigslist, Goodwill (got our last batch of weight plates there for less than $10), PennySaver, local classifieds: all good sources for equipment.

    eBay, TV on demand, hulu, youtube: all good places for workout videos.
  • lockef
    lockef Posts: 466
    As already said, body weight exercises are free.

    Look for a clock, turn on some tunes and do some circuit training. An example would be 30 seconds of work, then 15 seconds rest with alternating exercises.

    Push ups
    Sit ups/Crunches
    Burpees
    Squats
    Plank
    Russian Twists
    High knees/running in place
    Lunges

    The list can go on and on.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    I run outside on the street, and I bought a weight bench at a yard sale for $50. The weight bench goes in the garage with the boxing bag and presto!! Workout-in-a-box. I borrow my son's pull-up bar (bought for Christmas 2 years ago) and I do planks, weighted with whatever - like my 6 yr old daughter :wink: . Fill a plastic gallon milk jug with sand or water and lift or swing that like a kettlebell. The only thing I really miss is a slant board for crunches...think I'll have to make myself one.
  • hamiltonba
    hamiltonba Posts: 474 Member
    You only need yourself! Try squats, lunges, push ups, jumping jacks, jump roping, interval jogging and walking - plenty of exercises with out weights or machines.....I would google and see what you come up with - be sure that your form is correct so you get the most out of the exercise and don't injure yourself.
  • becky_turcotte
    becky_turcotte Posts: 152
    try the clearance rack of your local walmart. I got some great Golds Gym videos from there for about $3 a piece. I also invested in weights (I paid about $20 in weights 2lbs, 3lbs, and 5lbs) and did the samething I would do at that gym at home. Also Biggest loser books are good with exercise, most of what is in the books can me done at home.
  • vdavis_89
    vdavis_89 Posts: 334
    I bought a good pair of Purple 5lb hand wieghts for like 10 bucks :) They kick my butt when i use them lol other than that I agree with the DVDs :) Or youtube!!! Youtube some exercises or follow the ones in some magazines :) I love my cosmo mags! That ancient machine you have sounds like some kind of sex toy or something!!! HILARIOUS!
  • Ashley_Panda
    Ashley_Panda Posts: 1,404 Member
    Put your can foods in shopping bags, tie them up and use them as weights.
  • Merodie
    Merodie Posts: 21
    :flowerforyou: Milk containers. add a little water at a time. Then you can go to sand. Also Goodwill, an excelent place to look! while you are shopping for smaller clothes that you will not be in for very long before you need even SMALLER clothes.
    Creativity is the key on a budget. Oh and also stairs. (up is better than down if you have any knee/joint issues) walk up. Elevator down. then speed it up. Throw in small bursts of speed while walking to get your heart rate up, this will also jump start the loss
    Good luck and don't give up. LOTS of great suggestions here. :happy:
  • rthompson81
    rthompson81 Posts: 305 Member
    I have a lot of public swimming pools in my area... maybe you have some in your area too? Swimming laps is a great workout!
  • Jennfur2610
    Jennfur2610 Posts: 67 Member
    What about exercise videos? They can be relatively inexpensive, and you can find them even cheaper on ebay or amazon... You can easily make your own weights with water jugs. Also, I've heard that some cable providers have exercise channels. Mine doesn't, or at least I haven't found it yet. But yours might. Do you have a wii or xbox? They have lots of fitness games.

    This. Is it possible to up the amount of walking you do, or the pace? I don't like running a lot and so I try to walk at a quicker pace than what I would walk my dogs, or leisurely walk around with a friend.
  • vdavis_89
    vdavis_89 Posts: 334

    Hope this doesn't come across the wrong way but... you can spend a little money now on exercise equipment. Stay healthy... Or a lot of money on health care later and have a poor quality of life. There is always a choice. In my case, I chose to live!

    Love this! It is the complete and honest truth!!!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,313 Member
    So I can't afford a gym membership, I have one ancient piece of exercise equipment called the LEISURE GLIDE 4000 (makes me laugh every time I say it), and the only thing I do is walk/jog 3.5 to 4 miles a day (walking more than jogging.. :/ ) I have stuck to my healthy 1500 calorie/daily lifestyle for almost 3 months and I can't kick the 20 pound range. I need to lose 80 more. What can I do from home exercise wise? I don't want to give up, MFP friends.

    I'm not really poor, but I have no desire to pay money for a gym membership again. Perhaps if our small town had one with an indoor pool I might go for it, but generally no. I workout at home. I started with Tae-bo which is an excellent all round workout and you can often find DVDs of it for very little cost. I got a bunch for $5 are Wal-mart last year. Since then I have moved to doing body weight exercises primarily. I have a bunch of the workouts I use on my blog here at MFP http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/rileysowner and they can really push a person. I have also purchased some other body weight workouts from bodyweightcoach.com which will really push a person. I just recently started the Octagon one from them and after week two I realized I was not ready for it yet in terms of fitness level as well as for me to do it right now I would have to stop doing all my cycling. Since summer is almost over I figured I would go back to it once the weather turns and cycling becomes less comfortable. Don't count out brisk walks that bring up a sweat. Also check out www.bodyrock.tv youtube.com and other online sources that are free.
  • anneyeats
    anneyeats Posts: 11
    Yogalates is good, gives you longer leaner muscles. Try your library for DVD hire, buy a skipping rope, walk up and down stairs several times, put a weighted back pack on when you excercise and keep up the good work.
  • cabul3
    cabul3 Posts: 210 Member
    I am also too broke to afford a regular gym membership. Since I don't enjoy "at home" DVDs (not knocking them, just saying that I don't have the motivation to do them at home!), I checked out the local YMCA gym. Y's have an "assisted membership" program in order to help poor people afford a membership. I only pay $11/mo for FULL use of the gym, pool, weights, and land and aquatic classes. Maybe you could look into that?
  • FitRodr
    FitRodr Posts: 353 Member
    Dance! I turn on my favorite music and get moving. I throw in some arm exercises and alot of lunges. Turn it up & get your groove on!
  • Namaste1983
    Namaste1983 Posts: 603 Member
    Walk outside and try hiking. It is great for your mind and body :)
    Also, goodwill and thrift store usually have some cheap used workout dvds. usualy 2 dollars or less :)
    Just keep going
    Jump rope burns 80 cals in 5 mins. (if you can go for 5 straight lol... it took me a while to get there)
  • LisaKyle11
    LisaKyle11 Posts: 662 Member
    use the great outdoors! i am not poor but i still spend most of my exercise time outside... no gym membership, no home gym...just my dog and self (and occasionally daughter/stroller or yoga mat). and it's FREE!
  • kevinlynch3
    kevinlynch3 Posts: 287 Member
    Check out you tube for videos by Craig Ballantyne who authors the Trubulence Training program. Last time I checked, he had a lot of free 5-10 minute videos on strength training using just your body weight or a training ball.

    His stuff is pretty good and a lot of the exercises he uses are the same ones you'll see in crossfit/p90x training routines.
  • Izable2011
    Izable2011 Posts: 755 Member
    If you have internet access try looking up some quick exercises on youtube.
  • caroln3
    caroln3 Posts: 217
    You can start by pushing yourself to jog more than walk, little by little. When I started MFP I couldn't jog at all and the walking helped me lose a few lbs so that I can jog now. You can also do some squats or jumping jacks while watching tv.
    Also, I have workout videos that I've purchased used for about 2 bucks at thrift shops and swap meets.

Categories