According to Suite 101 contributing writer Tanya Martinenko, a major fitness trend in 2009 will be workouts that are easy on the wallet, as well as those that incorporate basic, classic movements and take advantage of available resources. With so many options out there, you can have all the components of a balanced fitness program---cardiovascular fitness, strength, balance, flexibility---without ever setting foot inside a gym.
Get Moving for Cardio Health---No Machines Required
The best calorie-burning equipment you have is your own body, so why not use it? Jogging is one of the most calorie-expending activities you can choose, and it’s free. Even better: alternate brief spurts of running with longer walking intervals. According to Rick Karboviak, a running coach featured on AllExperts.com, “Not only is [interval training] superior for weight loss, but it improves endurance levels moreso [sic] than traditional 'just run longer' programming.”
Not to rule out the benefits of walking, however. In “Setting Up a Walking Program: How to Walk Your Way to Better Health,” Suite 101 contributor Venice Kichura offers some ideas for optimizing a walking workout, such as having a plan and wearing a pedometer. Additionally, you can get more from walking by choosing areas that have an incline. If you have access to a treadmill, absolutely use the incline function to increase caloric expenditure as well as lower-body strength. If you live in a hilly area, use those hills for an automatic interval workout. Finally, if you have access to a stairwell, walking stairs indoors is an excellent workout for both your legs and your heart.
Technology and Your Workout
These days, exercise programming for all fitness levels and interests is only a click away. Most digital cable and satellite providers provide free on-demand exercise programming ranging from yoga to strength training to cardio dance. The internet is a treasure trove of exercise options: ExerciseTV has constantly rotating free workouts on its website, and iTunes features inexpensive workout videos that you can download to your iPod. For the more technically challenged, workout DVDs can still be purchased on the cheap almost anywhere.
The Home Gym You Never Knew You Had
An increasingly popular option for getting fit at home is to revisit classic strength training and calisthenic moves, exercises like push-ups and lunges that never go out of style. It isn’t difficult to design your own personal bootcamp; here are some tips:
- Alternate strength moves like squats, push-ups, and wall-sits with high-intensity cardio moves like jumping jacks and running in place.
- Take advantage of things you have around the house. A coffee table is a great place to do tricep dips, and you can do step-ups onto a sturdy chair.
- Choose concrete intervals for your exercises: 60 seconds or up to 20 reps for strength moves, 30-plus seconds (try working up to 60-plus seconds as these become easier) for cardio moves.
- Aim for a minimum of 20 minutes per session.
- Try to do a complete circuit, or one set of every exercise in the workout, then repeat for 2 or even 3 sets. Go straight from one exercise to the next with little to no rest in order to keep your heart rate elevated.
- Choose exercises that will incorporate your entire body. By pairing bicep curls with lunges, for instance, you burn more calories than you would standing still and doing only bicep curls. This is also very time-efficient!
Even with all of these resources, staying committed to any fitness program can be an enormous challenge. A wallet-friendly solution? Find a friend, co-worker, or family member with similar goals and schedule weekly workouts together just like you would with a trainer. Aim for 2--3 strength training sessions per week, and try to get some form of cardiovascular exercise like walking at least 5 days a week. You’ll be well on your way to a fitter---and wealthier---you!
Shelby Miller - A 2007 grad of DePaul University's MA in Writing program, Shelby is a newly minted freelance writer. Her undergraduate degree in ...
