This video was just too funny not to include in this post. I think that for some people they assume that if they get a gym membership they will instantly be in shape. Not so! Don't get me wrong. I love the gym. We used to go to a gym that was extremely family oriented, fairly cheap, and very large...they were actually the largest gym in our state. We loved it. In fact, we always talked about how we wanted to continue living close to that gym. Now fast forward a couple years and we are now living in a state on the other side of the country. The closest gym that has a children's center is a good 30 minutes away and costs almost 3 times as much. We really could not justify spending the money or the driving time (or driving cost, since gas is so expensive).
So we decided to do the next best thing...create a gym in our home. Granted we don't have everything that a huge facility might, but we have enough to keep us in shape. We decided to take the route of buying a treadmill. I LOVE my treadmill. We purchased it off of Home Shopping Network and to anyone is looking to buy one I recommend this route for the simple reason of "flex-pay". We were able to pay for the treadmill in 5 monthly installments with no interest. And the payments each month were half of the price we would have had to pay per month at the gym. Not to mention that now we own it! Other than that we have a bunch of weights and some exercise bands that allow us to work all of our muscles. Infact, I notice now that I am using free weights as opposed to machines I am getting a much better workout!
You really don't have to buy much equipment at all if you don't want to. You can make do with items around your house. Plus there are always exercise videos that are not too expensive that can give you a full-body workout. My favorite is definitely the Slim-in-6 series. There are others, of course, you just have to find what is best for you. You can rent exercise videos/dvds from your local movie rental store to try them out and find which one works best for you. And don't forget that there are plenty of things you can do without any equipment at all, i.e. lunges, squats, push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, etc... You can go for a brisk walk or run, or even walk up and down the stairs in your home.
I found a pretty good article titled "Gym Membership Isn't Necessary For Fitness". You can read the entire article @ http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/01/fitness.html
The information comes from Colleen Greene, a wellness coordinator with MFit, the University of Michigan Health System's health promotion division. In the article she gives you the following tips:
"1. Get a fitness assessment. An assessment done by a personal trainer will help you decide what your goals should be. For example, it will show if you need flexibility work or if instead you should focus on increasing your cardiovascular capacity. This will provide a starting point for fitness planning.
Also, be sure to check with your doctor to ensure that your new routine will be the best and safest one for your individual needs.
2. Purchase equipment that is right for you. Don't get something that is just going to end up being a coat hanger, Greene advises. "You want to look at what is exciting to you, what you will do and what to focus on once your assessment has been done," she said.
"Do you need the cardiovascular exercise? Buy a cardiovascular machine. Do you need some strength training? Purchase a Dyna-band or small hand weights. It depends on what sort of equipment you need and what sort of equipment you are going to use."
3. Be creative. Do you have a can of soup? Then you've got yourself a dumbbell. Using the resources around you not only mixes up your routine, but it saves you some money too. You can even use your own body weight to do various resistance exercises that help to increase your strength, Greene said.
4. Embrace the outdoors. There are many winter activities that people can do outside that can be fun and safe. Snowshoeing, cross country skiing and even going outdoors to play with your children are great ways to integrate exercise into your life during the winter months.
5. Maintain a support system. Whether you need a friend to work out with or someone who will help you stay motivated, Greene emphasizes the value of getting support to help you commit to your new routine. Even if it is asking a family member to do the dishes so you can get a workout in, other people can greatly aid in making your resolution a reality.
6. Change up your routine. Not only can adding a mix to your workouts prevent injuries, it can also add some "spice" to your routine. Greene notes that the more fun you make exercise, the more likely you are to sustain it.
Changing up a routine also gives you the chance to target different areas of your body. While the typical recommendation for cardiovascular activity is 20 to 30 minutes at your target heart rate five to six days a week, it is important to engage in both aerobic and weight-training activities because research has also shown that strength training should be a part of every workout as well.
7. Realize that weight loss won't happen overnight. Greene suggests that a one- to two-pound weight loss per week is a realistic expectation, but it will take time to see significant results. Instead of only paying attention to the numbers on the scale, focus on how your clothes are feeling, how your resting heart rate is dropping and how you have more energy overall.
Greene also suggests watching TV or listening to music while exercising at home. The most important thing, she says, is simply making time to do it."
Although I do agree with Greene that watching TV or listening to music might make exercising more enjoyable, from my experience (and from other reports that I have read) you really get a better workout if you can focus on the task at hand, i.e. your form, posture, speed, etc... instead of what is happening on the television. But if the only time you can find to exercise is when you are watching American Idol, then by all means, do it!!
I hope that some of this information might be useful to those of you thinking that you can't get in shape at home. It is possible. And it doesn't have to be expensive.
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