12 Ways to Exercise without Spending a Dime

With the holidays over and bathing suit season just a few months away, people begin to reevaluate their exercise routine. Is it time to step it up? Should you join a gym? According to Statistic Brain, the average cost of a monthly gym membership is $58, yet 67% of people with gym memberships never use them.

If you are looking to save a little money and still feel comfortable in your bathing suit this summer, check out these exercise options that won’t cost you a dime.

1. Borrow workout DVDs – Whether you enjoy the calming stretches of yoga or the more intense workouts of P90, your local library carries a variety of exercise videos for all skill levels. Most rental periods are one week for videos, giving you the opportunity to try a lot of different exercise routines.
2. Tune into YouTube – Discover thousands of cardio, fat burning, dance, yoga, and general fitness videos. With YouTube available on so many devices, there is no excuse for not finding a time and place to exercise. Head to the park, close your office door or workout in the privacy of your own home.
3. Window shop at the mall – That’s right! Lace up your shoes and head to the mall for some free indoor exercise. Walking at three miles per hour can burn more than 300 calories per hour. Download the Map My Run app and set your activity to walk. This free app will track your pace, time, distance and calorie burn. Walk with a friend, push a stroller or simply wander the mall and people watch.
4. Do the stairs – Head to a nearby hotel or office building and take the stairs. Set the timer on your phone or simply count the number of flights you take. Can’t get away from home? If you have stairs in your house, turn on some music and start climbing. Want to get outside? Try the bleachers at the local high school.
5. Jump rope – Every garage has an old jump rope or tie down rope. Get out in the sun and start jumping. This is an easy activity to involve your older kids. Try making it a competition – the one who jumps the least times has to do the dishes.
6. Go old school – Remember middle school gym class? Put on a t-shirt and shorts and start with the basics. Try jumping jacks, pushups, sit ups, squats and lunges. Structured workout suggestions can be found on Pinterest or by Googling “calisthenics routines.”
7. Dance – Invite your friends to come over and crank up the tunes for a kitchen dance party. If your kids have a game console, ask them to play Just Dance with you. Don’t have the game? Borrow it from a friend.
8. Get outside and run – You see joggers everywhere – on trails, city streets or in local parks. For motivation, sign up to do a local 5K with your friend or spouse.
9. Use what you have – Make your own weights by filling empty water bottles and milk jugs with water or sand. Place on a scale and mark the weight on the bottle. Look online for exercise routines that use kitchen chairs, walls or stairs.
10. Do some spring cleaning – Now is the perfect time to clean out the attic, crawlspace or basement. Lifting boxes, moving furniture and heavy cleaning can burn up 400 calories per hour.
11. Play sports at the local park – Pull out the soccer ball, tennis rackets or basketball for a quick pick-up game with family or friends. For added exercise, bike or walk to the park.
12. Hike at the State park. State parks have free admission and are open year round. Stop in the information center for a trail map and enjoy the outdoors while hiking through nature. Many parks allow dogs on their leashes so bring your four-legged friend for some exercise, too.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average woman is 63.8″ tall and weighs 166.2 lbs. With that in mind, the chart below shows how many calories the average woman can burn without having to pay for a monthly gym membership. Want to find the calorie burn for your own weight and height? Check out HealthStatus.com.

Cleaning the house

• Dusting (15 minutes)  45 calories
• Mopping (15 minutes)  85 calories
• Washing Dishes (15 minutes)  42 calories

Calisthenics

• Jumping Jacks (10 minutes)  56 calories
• Pushups (5 minutes) 32 calories
• Situps (5 minutes) 28 calories
• Jumping Rope (10 minutes) 126 calories

Going Places

• Running 6 mph (30 minutes)  378 calories
• Walking 3 mph (30 minutes)  164 calories
• Hiking (30 minutes)  224 calories
• Stairs (30 minutes)  304 calories

Playing sports

• Frisbee (20 minutes)  76 calories
• Tennis (singles, 30 minutes)  229 calories
• Soccer (casual, 30 minutes)  264 calories
• Dancing (30 minutes)  224 calories
• • Jump on Trampoline  n(15 minutes)  70 calories