Fitness doesn’t have to cost a lot.  Here are some tips to get fit from free to not-very-expensive.

If you are ready to get your body into shape, but your resources are slim, you’re not alone. Many people think it takes money to get into shape and enjoy living. Not so. While there are ways to spend money getting fit, you can do it yourself on much less money than you might think.

Not all gyms are created equal

If you lack the willpower to exercise at home, you might not have a choice but to go to a gym. As with most things, it pays to shop around.  Some gyms offer specials.  Some have different plans.  Some offer savings for longer term commitments. Take the time to find out what’s in your area.

Some discount fitness centers, such as Fitness19, offer the same services as more expensive gyms, at a fraction of the cost. This is a good example of checking out the options. You can pay for one month or sign up for a year; guess which costs less. Many of these places also have no binding contracts. That means you can stop when you want without a penalty.

Despite the cost, going to a gym definitely has its benefits. For one, you get access to a variety of equipment. You can choose free weights, bikes, floor exercises, or you can join structured classes. They usually have personal trainers on site. It also gets you out of the house and into an environment where everyone is working hard to achieve the same goals.  That’s the power of motivation, and it tends to encourage a higher level of performance.

Working out at home

If you are not interested in going to a gym, or you want to really save money, you can work out at home. If you don’t have a treadmill or weight bench, there are many low-cost options.

Some of the best exercises use body weight, rather than equipment:

• Sit-ups
• Squats
• Lunges
• Stretches
• Push-ups
• Jumping jacks
• Skipping rope
• Running up stairs
• Walking and running

For most of these, it pays to have good footwear. Otherwise, there is no equipment needed. No, you don’t need yoga pants.  No, you don’t need a wrist band.  Just wear something you are comfortable moving in.

There are also inexpensive kits to add a bit of variety, such as over the doorway bars to use for chin-ups. That’s my favorite, although I tend to do push-ups most (every morning).

You can pick up a fit ball. Or a bike.  Or a pair of skates. Or go swimming. And free weights and a bench will set you back only two or three hundred dollars.  But wait!  Who needs to buy free weights?  These days, you just need to pick up a couple jugs of laundry soap and start waving your arms.

Even just spending more time on your feet and less time couch-potatoing it will make a big difference.

Diet and exercise go hand in hand

Working out is important, but fitness is about so many other things.  In particular, there are three pillars to fitness:

• Exercise
• Nutrition
• Rest

Sadly, I am reasonably good at only two of these.

Not long ago, I wrote about how to eat healthy on a budget. What you eat and how you exercise go hand in hand.

• In general, if you wish to build muscle, eat protein after working out.
• If you want energy to push your body further, eat carbs a few hours before working out.
• If you want to lose weight, eat small amounts frequently, and go easy on the carbs.

Do whatever exercise you can.  Do what it takes to stay motivated, even if that means spending money at the gym.  But if you have no money to spend on fitness, I don’t want to hear that excuse.  It costs nothing to do pushups.  It costs nothing to speed walk or run.  It costs nothing to lift laundry detergent or dictionaries or chairs. Or your favorite crush (with permission, of course).

So get some sleep, eat healthy and work out.  Not in that order, please.

* Duffle bag poster courtesy of Dimepiece LA