Have you noticed that the look of “being fit” has changed dramatically? Take one scroll through the fitness news feed on Instagram and you will get what I’m saying. Crop tops, abs, and almost 0% body fat. Are they beautiful? Am I mesmerized by their muscles and veins popping? You bet! But if you don’t lift heavy 6 days a week, count your macros, and only eat chicken, sweet potatoes, and rice cakes, are you not considered fit?
The thing is, that lifestyle is fit for very few. It’s not meant for those who want to have a glass of wine with dinner, for those who want to sit on the couch eating pizza while binge watching Shameless with their husband on a Friday night, and definitely not for those who go for unlimited chips and salsa and margaritas with their girlfriends a little bit too often.
I’m here to talk to those who want to create a healthy lifestyle that not only includes health and fitness, but your mental health too. You see, those nights eating pizza with your husband or drinking margaritas with your girlfriends are your sanity nights. You need those nights. Don’t feel guilty about those nights.
I would like to think of myself as a resourceful person, or maybe I’m just cheap…I blame that on my husband. I have found that I do not need some big fancy-shmancy gym membership to get fit. And honestly, being a Stay-At-Home Mama, I would not have found the time to make it to the gym…was that an excuse? Probably, but I know myself well enough to know it’s true and not to spend the money. I MEAN HAVE YOU SEEN THE PRICE OF GYM MEMBERSHIPS THAT INCLUDE DAYCARE?! That does not fit into our one-income budget.
I have transformed my body all from the comfort of my home and on a budget. I lost weight, I got strong, and I gained confidence and a whole new level of love for my body.
How did I do this? Well, I’m here to share with you my top 5 ways to get fit on a budget.
1. HIIT Workouts AKA High-Impact Interval Training. So what is it? It’s interval training where you give 100% effort for a period of time, take a short recovery period, and repeat. What does this do for your body? It keeps your heart rate up, therefore your body burns more fat in a shorter period of time. It’s quick, it’s convenient, it’s hard, and you get results. There is no equipment needed, so you can do this ANYWHERE. Your basement, living room, on the deck, or at the park.
2. Mall Walking – I know, you may not be 70 years old, but it’s a free place to get those steps in and there’s always plenty to look at. A few mornings each week I pack up my stroller and we head to the mall.
Most malls open before the stores actually open. The mall I go to, the stores open at 10am, but the mall is open around 8am for those who want to walk. One lap around my mall is approximately 1,200 steps. I typically walk 4 laps and a little extra to get around 5,000 steps.
Tip: if you do this, leave your wallet in your vehicle, otherwise it may not be budget-friendly.
3. Ladder Exercises – This is something my high school softball team did before every single practice. However, I did not want to purchase a ladder so I found painters tape and made a ladder on our basement floor. If you only have carpet or don’t like the looks of tape on your floor, you can purchase them pretty inexpensively (less than $15) at the link below.
Yes4All Agility Ladder – Speed Agility Training Ladder with Carry Bag – 12 Rung (Blue)
4. Beachbody OnDemand – AKA Netflix for working out. Now this is a bit of an upfront cost, but it is still way cheaper than a gym membership. It is $99 for a full year and you can get access to 700+ different workouts that you can do anywhere as long as you have your phone or computer. You can choose which type of workout you want to do from strength training, to cardio, yoga, piyo, and dance.
I tend to favor strength training programs, so my favorites so far have been Hammer and Chisel and LIIFT4.
60 day transformation with Hammer and Chisel 6 week transformation with LIIFT4
5. GET FREAKY – sorry, Mom, if you’re reading this.
After I posted this picture on my Instagram account, my inbox flooded with messages from Ladies complimenting my legs and asking what my secret was. At the time, I told them what workout program I was currently doing. In reality, I wanted to tell them, “well my hubby and I have been trying for baby #2 for the last 7 months and he doesn’t leave his back.” 😅
Did you know that women burn about 3.1 calories per minute of sex? That being said, grab your partner and have some fun 😉
Alyssa Wittwer
Instagram – @work.for.it.mama