Exercise ALONE and on a BUDGET :-/

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  • dfborders
    dfborders Posts: 474 Member
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    Do you have any neighbors that may want to walk with you when you are available? Or a pet that has to be walked? What about a favorite mall that you enjoy walking around. Maybe a friend that would be interested in walking? Do you have a beach nearby that you walk on? Exercising is also my biggest problem due to my schedule. But, now that I am starting to feel better from an injury, I do try to walk during my lunch hour if weather permits and if it is a bad weather week I try to walk at the mall. The reason I suggest walking first is because once I start walking and start realizing how good it makes me feel then I want to do more like pull out my exercise trampouline and try to do that for a few minutes a few times a night, then if I wake up a few minutes early instead of reading or lounging around I will try to do some crunches or jumping jacks. A little goes a long way and it is the best way to try to make something a habit. Good Luck...:flowerforyou:
  • jaded_rose
    jaded_rose Posts: 298 Member
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    Sounds like you got a good start but your problem is the starting part. I've gone from 181 to 154 with just my Wii Fit & E.A. Active, running shoes, bands, & 3 lb weights, OH & a few DVDS. I like JM 30 shred. that one was a good workout.

    I'm currently having to take my bike in because the front tire keeps popping and I only had the inter tube for a week before it gives out.
  • krissie12475
    krissie12475 Posts: 7 Member
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    I really like to exercise in my own living room :) I have noone staring at me...noone to impress and better yet... I do it when the house is EMPTY :) Blast the music and pop in my ChaLEAN Extreme dvd and ROCK IT!!!
    I also log into the team beqachbocy website and i can track my exercise and there are a lot of great tips on exercise and nutrition. I can chat in the cool down room as well :)

    Best of all...the bebachbody membership is FREE!!! so that's perfect for your budget :)
    I also run and walk to get in the extra cardio. I found a RunKeeper program that i downloaded on my phone and it tracks my runs and talks to me!!! lol Its great!!!

    If you're interested in the beachbody site let me know and i can send you a link :)

    Keep up the great work!!!
  • YukonJoy
    YukonJoy Posts: 1,279 Member
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    I am also on a tight budget. Wow! You have way better equipment than I do! All I own is a yoga mat lol.

    As for working out alone..I really enjoy it. It's my special "Me" time.

    Maybe some good tunes would help motivate you?
  • ardeornellis
    ardeornellis Posts: 198 Member
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    Being a fellow mom....I stole this from a friend.. I love running because I leave the kids at home and run far far away to clear my mind... Once my mind is clear I realize how much I love them so I turn around and run back home...:) I'm sure there are days you can relate...:)
  • bstilland
    bstilland Posts: 122 Member
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    I also exercise at home or take walks when the weather is not too hot or in the winter too icy...I saw a post this morning about Thursday Daily Exercise and that encouraged me today. thank you for posting this ---people have given some really good encouraging ideas. I checked WII Zumba out of the library so I can try it before I put it on my birthday or christmas list.
  • peachNpunkin
    peachNpunkin Posts: 1,010 Member
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    Sounds like you have a lot of exercise equipment at your house... invite some friends over to work out on your equipment if you can't afford to go to a gym... I have an elliptical and a stationary bike... we have been not so great the last couple weeks... but one of my friends comes over every monday and we watch extreme makeover weight loss edition and worked out while we were watching... put a tv in front of your exercise equipment... it will help you work out longer :)

    That is a very good idea.
  • YukonJoy
    YukonJoy Posts: 1,279 Member
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    Personally, I talk to myself while I workout...but not in a crazy way. If I'm trying to sprint up a hill or want to quite I just say "come on girl you can do it, you just have to get that far, just think of what you'll look like when it's over" and by the time I finish all my motivational blabber, I'm already up the hill.

    LOL! Too cute! I love that you say "not in a crazy way". I'm not sure the people you're running by muttering "you can do it, you go girl" think the same thing. Haha. Good for you.
  • VICKY_83
    VICKY_83 Posts: 51 Member
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    I am in the same boat as you, I only have fitness dvds. I get up everyday and do my fitness dvds I chance them round so I am not doing the same old dvd. I get my partner to messure my waist, thighs etc instead of getting on the scales as I can't afford them at the mo. my motivation lyes with in my pile of jeans I have on top of my wardrobe that don't fit me as I can't afford to buy no more. I did find it hard exercising by my self as I use to exercise with a friend but she is pregnant. All I can lastly add is don't think bout it just do it ,then you will see a massive differents in ya health and fitness. Good luck..
  • Bikeminx
    Bikeminx Posts: 51
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    I recommend sandbag training and jump rope :D
  • mom2enlp
    mom2enlp Posts: 38 Member
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    I know how hard it is to stay motivated when you're doing it alone, but don't be discouraged! One of the best arm exercises I've found is one that a friend gave me. He's a trainer, and he knows it's difficult for me to do traditional pushups because I have arthritis. This one actually helps all over if you do it correctly. Stand an arms' length from the wall and face it. Put your palms flat against the wall in front of you, and makes sure your hands are level with your shoulders. Step back a bit so that your body is slightly slanted toward the wall. Tuck your rear end in, rise onto your toes, and hold your tummy in. Then, slowly lower your nose toward the wall as far as you can go in a modified "push up." Make sure to maintain control going in and out.

    I didn't think these would work, but my arms burned afterward! I'm up to three sets of 15 reps, and I'm seeing a difference in my upper arms.

    And if you want some help with motivation, I'm glad to send you an encouraging message when you need me to! You can do this! And you are COMPLETELY worth the effort! Always remember that if nothing else. :happy:
  • photo_kyla
    photo_kyla Posts: 322 Member
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    I love my gym, but I was living in a different city with no gym access for about 6 months. I would walk at every opportunity. Walk to the grocery store, walk to work, walk to activities. It takes time but you'll burn a lot of calories.

    The other thing I'm seeing is that there are a lot of other people in the same boat as you. You have some equipment and routines for exercising at home. Why not get together and start a challenge/support group? Check in with each other and keep each other accountable. It's easier sometimes to go ahead and do your workouts than have to admit to everyone that you were too lazy to get off the couch :)
  • Ginger1384
    Ginger1384 Posts: 42
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    I have the gazelle and usually exercise alone. I have some shows on DVD so I put one of them in. Daria is a personal favorite.
  • GameOn2011
    GameOn2011 Posts: 73 Member
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    Im also working out at home by myself. You seem to have all the tools you need to succeed, just not the motivation to actually get up and use them! I was the same way!! Getting started on a workout routine is the hardest part. What I did was make a 12 week chart of exercises to do. Everyday that I did an exercise I marked in on the chart.
    Start off small. Maybe your first weeks goal should be to do the elliptical for 10 minutes every Mon, Wed, Fri and bands on Tues & Thurs. Get what I mean? Youll begin to get in the habit of working out in no time! When I started, I was only able to do the elliptical for 15 minutes. Now I can go 50 minutes without stopping. :)
    Hope this helps!!!

    That is exactly what I do~! I have a 12 week chart that I follow and I MAKE myself get out of bed to do it before work. And boy, I really begin to appreciate those rest days.

    Maybe sign up for a 5k walk/run. Having a goal is definitely motivation! Good Luck!
  • Yocum1219
    Yocum1219 Posts: 400 Member
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    I started with once a week. Then after a bit, 2ce a week. I started getting more energy & feeling so good that the results were addictive. I still slack off now & again, but I'm still a long way from my final goal! Feel free to add me, or find our challenge group, currently 200+ Frying the Fat (part 2). Even when we get below 200, we stay on & support those who still need it, like me! :o)
  • krepl
    krepl Posts: 1
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    I work out at home alone too and it took me a while to get into the routine and figure out a way that works for me. Firstly ,don't be too hard on yourself! I started off doing just 10 minutes - something is better than nothing - then gradually bumped it up to 15, then 20, and now I do 35 minutes pretty regularly, plus a bunch of sit-ups and stuff afterwards. But I don't beat myself up if I skip a day, or if I do a shorter workout - it's punishment enough that I have to eat less that day!

    One tip I got from someone is: even if you don't feel like working out, at least just put on your workout clothes. Nine times out of 10, people will end up working out since they've already gone to the trouble of getting changed. (This has worked for me.)

    Some other tips:
    - figure out what helps you feel like the time passes more quickly. For me, sometimes it's TV, but most times it's iPod. I find my motivation crashes during commercials and boring parts of shows, but with the iPod I just have to get through 6-8 songs and I'm done.
    - I cover up the display on the elliptical. It usually feels much easier to get through the workout if I'm not constantly tracking every second that has passed and seeing the difficulty levels increase. Or maybe you'll find it motivates you to watch your progress on the screen. Just try to notice what makes your motivation go up or down while you're working out or getting ready to work out, so you can develop a routine that works for you.

    Good luck! You can do it!!
  • rrsuthy
    rrsuthy Posts: 236 Member
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    Sometimes I have to tell myself , "I never finish a workout and say "darn, I wish I hadn't worked out". That motivates me to at least do something and then once I start I keep going. i've had days where I could barely do 20 minutes, but I do it and then the next day is better.
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
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    I work out alone and at home, as well. Most of my cardio I get from running, and the strength and resistance or cross-training, I get from P90X, doing the lower/upper body workouts, and the plyometrics and yoga. I've found it's a good balance for me, because I can adjust it day to day based on how I'm feeling, and I don't need anything more than bands and a pair of running shoes for any given day.

    I started out by pulling up an Excel worksheet, and creating a schedule, week-by-week, of my running and workouts, for specific times. I found that if I put down the times and workouts, I couldn't justify not using the time, since I set it aside specifically for working out. Some days, if the baby was in a bad mood or whatever, I would have to skip some, but for the most part, the schedule worked great in the beginning, and now I don't feel like I need it. I can go for runs or work out without scheduling it, because it's habit again.

    Good luck! Coming on here regularly is great motivation alone, so that's a great start!
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
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    Being a fellow mom....I stole this from a friend.. I love running because I leave the kids at home and run far far away to clear my mind... Once my mind is clear I realize how much I love them so I turn around and run back home...:) I'm sure there are days you can relate...:)

    Totally true! You never realize how much you want to get back until you leave for a while. Running away for an hour or so helps so much. :)
  • changeisgood55
    changeisgood55 Posts: 274
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    I exercise alone at home all the time. But when I'm on the elliptical or treadmill, I watch a movie. Before I know it an hour has passed and I didn't even realize it because I was into watching the movie. It just helps me pass the time and not feel so on my own. Just an idea for you.

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