Tag: move into health

Move into Health, Part 10: Create a fitness plan that meets you where you are

by stephsimply, posted in Simple Observations and Musings
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I came across a quote only days after my recent ACDF surgery by Oprah Winfrey that read, “Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.” It accurately summed up what I have been trying to do as I recover.  Find new ways to stand, sit, sleep, work, walk, etc. . . Of course, I am blessed that my surgery did not require more than one night’s stay in the hospital, and wasn’t more serious.  Nonetheless, surgery is no joke and recovery is for real.

My movement was limited for days following surgery.  I had to learn to turn at the waist, rather than use my neck. Additionally, I had to focus on using my stomach muscles to get in and out of bed to avoid straining my neck. And, all forms of exercise, except for walking, was eliminated per staunch medical advice that my family took to heart with frequent reminders. (They didn’t need to worry, I truly wasn’t feeling like doing much during those first few days.)

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Walking, I was told by the release nurse, was to be completed every hour, even if it meant only completing one lap around the dining room table before I sat back down.  However, I was encouraged, once I got past what the nurse called the “recliner days”–days when swelling and inflammation (aka pain) was at the highest level–to try to walk 10-15 minutes each hour.  I had just completed a half-marathon, albeit slowly, only weeks earlier, and now this was my new fitness plan. What a shift!

So why was walking so important, even on those days when I didn’t feel like moving?  Well, it turns out there are numerous valid reasons according to my doctor and as described in countless studies out of the Mayo Clinic, University of Wisconsin, and in a 2020 US News and World Report article. Here are a few of the reasons cited:

  • Prevention of post-surgery complications
  • Enhances blood flow throughout the body
  • Increases the flow of oxygen throughout the body
  • Accelerates wound healing
  • Strengthens muscles and bones
  • Improves digestion (aka ability to poop) and the function of urinary tract while reducing bloating and gas
  • Reduces risk for blood clots, infections, and lung issues, such as pneumonia
  • Boosts mood and self-esteem  

Why do I share all of this?  To make the point that my old fitness plan was, and currently is, no longer appropriate for me.  I had to adopt a fitness plan that meets my body’s needs where it is.  Therefore, my current movement plan consists of short segments of walking completed throughout the day as I remain home recovering, which complies with medical advice from my doctor and best meets the needs of my body.  

Gentle walking on my driveway or in my house is part of the slow and steady recovery plan.

At the time of writing this, I am entering my third week of recovery. After my two-week, post-operative appointment, I now have permission to begin to gently explore a few  strengthening exercises and stretches that can be completed without forward bending.  Additionally, I can begin to explore my neck range of motion with a few doctor approved neck stretches and strengthening exercises, but nothing more.  Slow and steady helps me find my new center of gravity.

Due to this experience, I want to continue to encourage you, Dear Reader, to carefully plan how you will enter, or reenter, your own exercise/movement plan this spring.  Create a plan that meets your needs, and commit to doing it–even if you don’t “feel like it.”  Personally speaking, I could feel angry and convince myself that if I can’t exercise the way I once did, then I won’t do anything at all. After all, it would be easy for me to sit around all day and use my surgery as an excuse to do nothing.  Conversely, I could try to push too hard with the delusion that, “The staff doesn’t really know ME,” and begin overdoing it with images of former, younger me dancing in my head

Instead, I have accepted the reality of my situation, rather than reject the medical advice I have been given.  They are the professionals, not me.  I have to meet my body where it’s at when it comes to fitness.  Sure, I have dreams of hiking again, walking (or jogging) the entire bike path of Ritter Park, and even practicing yoga with regularity, but none of those will ever happen if I don’t recover first.  And my first step in recovery is walking, so my body can focus on the miraculous work of healing.

Welcome walking into your life! You might be surprised by the benefits!

Therefore, no matter where you are, what shape you are in, or any other personal obstacles that you may be facing unbeknownst to me, I still encourage you to never give up on regularly incorporating movement into your day. Avoid the temptation to make excuses for yourself, but at the same time, don’t start off with a complicated plan.  Talk to your health care provider, and then start.

Start where you are.  If you don’t regularly move, then begin, like me, with short walks around your home, or up and down your driveway or sidewalk.  Do that 3-4 times per week.  The following week, add one more lap, or add five more minutes to your walk, and complete it 3-4 times per week.  Gradually, you will build up your time and the distance covered.  By keeping this up over several weeks, you will create the habit of moving.  Your body, lungs, and heart will be stronger, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you find you are reaping other unexpected benefits!

Think about this, my friends, if walking is scientifically established as one of the best tools for recovery after surgery, what can it do for you?  Don’t beat yourself up because you are no longer what you once were, you didn’t exercise over winter due to the cold weather, you’ve never really tried to exercise previously, or you’re somewhere in between, like me.  Start where you are at, and move one step at a time.  Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is fitness, but you have to take the first step, and spring is a great time to start.  

Here we go my friend, take my hand, let’s find that new center of gravity, and cross this bridge together, one healing step at a time.

Open the door to spring, and find your new center of gravity one small step at a time!

Move Into Health, Part 9: The Long Game

by stephsimply, posted in Herald-Dispatch Articles

“ . . . To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am.”–Francis Bacon

I recently ran across an inspirational story that was being shared across a multitude of media outlets.  Jean Bailey, a 102-year old resident and fitness coach of Elk Ridge Senior Living in Omaha, Nebraska, has been leading fitness classes there, four times a week, for the past three years.  

 Bailey’s classes consist of exercises that go through a wide range of motion, designed to get every part of the body moving, including activities such as overhead reach, arm circles, neck rotations, and seated toes touches to name a few.  Her classes last about 30 minutes.  Bailey realizes that, like her, many of her fellow exercisers have mobility limitations or their bodies are different from day to day; however, she believes that everyone, including herself, can benefit from doing what they can do.  

102 year old Jean Bailey leading an exercise class at Elk Ridge Senior Living in Omaha, Nebraska.

Bailey is redefining what it means to age.  She proudly proclaimed in a recent interview, “If you don’t keep your mind and body busy, then why are you here?” Friendships have blossomed and flourished since she first began leading the classes during the pandemic when Bailey invited her neighbors to bring chairs into the hall and exercise with her at a socially safe distance.  

Since COVID restrictions were lifted, Bailey has also been known to treat fellow exercisers with baked goods after class, especially in honor of someone’s birthday.  This is because, as Bailey points out, birthdays at their age are noteworthy. When asked if she’ll ever quit, she replied, “When I get old, I’ll quit!”

I share this story as part of the 9th installment of the “Move Into Health” series. Bailey’s story serves as a direct contrast to those limiting beliefs, which can easily entrap any one of us, regarding adopting or changing certain healthy lifestyle habits as we age. However, even though our bodies change with age, according to numerous scientific studies, there is very little difference between an 18-year old brain and a 100-year old brain from a cerebrovascular perspective; thus establishing, we are never too old to mentally adopt new habits or overcome poor habits that may have crept in over the years.

Bailey is most likely an example of what scientists call SuperAgers, those living into their eighth decade, and beyond, who possess cognitive function similar to that of a middle-aged adult.  In fact, neuroscientists at Northwestern University in Chicago have identified four specific habits of SuperAgers. Adopting these four SuperAgers’ healthy habits may help slow down the aging process within the brain (and the body), potentially staving off Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, while boosting overall health; thereby, spending less time at the doctor’s office and more time doing the things you love.  

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The four habits of SuperAgers are listed below. While I am not a proponent of changing everything all at once, I do sincerely believe that taking small steps towards any of these habits can have a positive impact upon personal health.

Daily Movement/Activity. You know the old adage, “Move it or lose it.”  Incorporating daily movement increases oxygen and blood flow–both of which benefit the brain.  Regular bouts of exercise, even as few as twice per week, strengthen not only the heart and lungs but can also strengthen muscles required for stability to avoid falling, help maintain a healthy weight, and reduce the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. As an added bonus, exercise can reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety and lower your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and even some cancers.

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Challenge yourself. Adopt habits of reading, puzzle solving, and learning. Experiencing the mild to moderate stress that often accompanies learning a new skill is good for creating and/or maintaining healthy neural pathways. Take classes, learn a new language, or choose any number of activities that get you out of your comfort zone.  Mental challenges are good for you and your brain.

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Get social.  Meeting regularly with friends, engaging with others via group settings, or partaking in family gatherings allow for the maintenance of healthy social relationships.  In fact, autopsies of SuperAgers reveals that the attention area of their brain has four to five times the amount of neurons responsible for social processing and awareness, when compared to others who lived into their 80s or later.

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Drink, but in moderation. Moderate drinkers are less likely to develop memory issues, including Alzheimer’s disease.  However, too much alcohol creates the opposite effect on memory as well as increased belly fat (the most dangerous type), increased blood pressure, and numerous other health conditions.

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Two other beneficial habits worth considering that are also associated with aging well:

Adopt a MIND diet.  MIND, in addition to being a huge buzz word in current medical research for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive delays, is an acronym for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.  It is a plant-based diet that combines the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diets. The MIND diet encourages the daily consumption of plenty of fruits (specifically berries), and vegetables (especially leafy greens), whole grains, legumes, nuts, as well as limited amounts of poultry, fish, and olive oil.  Not only are these foods good for overall brain health and cognitive function, but they also reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, two actions strongly associated with chronic health illnesses and disease. 

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Quit smoking. While I cannot pretend to know how hard it is to stop this habit, I do remember a nurse telling my mother-in-law during an emergency room visit that within 24 hours of quitting smoking, she would begin to reduce her risk of a heart-attack by 50% or more.  It still took her several more years before she quit; however, I will forever admire the way in which she finally gave up the habit at age 71. Although health issues related to a lifetime of smoking remained with her until the end, because she did quit, she added years to her life.  

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Who among us will be the next SuperAger?  No one can know for sure. To be certain, any one of us could follow all the so-called rules, and still develop Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, or other detrimental condition.  Nonetheless, watching Jean Bailey lead her exercise classes on Youtube and Twitter videos certainly persuades me to keep moving into my own health, and her story further motivates me to continue to share this valuable information. Adopting any or all of these healthy habits can’t hurt any of us, and they just might add a bit more quality to the quantity of years we have remaining.  Here’s to your health!

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Find your own way to increased movement: SMART steady steps

by stephsimply, posted in Simple Observations and Musings

“Set goals not for the outcome itself, but for who you get to become in the process.”–Jim Rohn

My husband and daughter recently gifted me with a popular, updated fitness watch to replace the one that I have worn for over ten years. The new watch has numerous bells and whistles that can be quite motivational to encourage movement, healthy sleep, heart health, and so forth.  However, the updated icon, consistent with the former version, tends to focus on unrealistic, outcome-based goals that are not necessarily appropriate for my unique age, gender, body type, and fitness level.  

The gadget, and its programmers, don’t know ME, the individual.  And therein lies the problem in these well-intended gadgets as well as the thousands of fitness plans found, not only on fitness watches, but also found on-line and in-print.  Therefore, in this seventh installment of my “Move into Health” series, my focus is about setting SMART movement goals that focus on your unique health needs and lifestyle.

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It is so easy and tempting to be swept away by programs with tantalizing titles such as, “9-weeks to a bikini bod,” or “8-weeks to your fastest 5-K,” or “Walk your way into a new jeans size,” and so forth, often made popular in January.  While there is nothing inherently wrong with any of these types of plans, I have personally found they tend to set us up for failure when our bodies don’t look like the 19-year old willowy model used in the workout plan, our running pace doesn’t match the 5-K plan designed by a former professional runner, or our jeans still fit the same in spite of all of our best efforts.  

Instead, there needs to be a way to personalize plans in order to adapt to individual health goals, interests, schedule, lifestyle, body type, age, and current health circumstances.  Thankfully, there is! 

This year, consider setting SMART goals that focus on the process of promoting your distinct health needs as a way to focus your movement/exercise habit, rather than predetermined outcomes. There’s no need to make outlandish New Year’s resolutions, despite what the exercise industry would have you believe.  We simply need to take steady, SMART steps.

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SMART stands for Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound processes.  

This acronym has been used for years across a wide array of disciplines and settings.  However, I find it just as useful as a tool for leaning into personal movement and health processes. Personally, I find far more joy, and little to no guilt-ridden feelings of failure, when I focus on the process of a goal, rather than a specific outcome of that goal. 

For example, I am currently training for a half-marathon in March; however, this year, I’ve adopted a SMART approach.  Completing the half-marathon in March is specific, measurable, and based on my own current level of fitness, is achievable within the 16-weeks for which I have been using to prepare for it.  What my plan is NOT attached to is a specific finish time or whether I will run, walk, skip, or even crawl across the finish line.  Instead, my focus is about the measure of fitness I will gain in the process.  

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I am no longer worrying about the pace of my jogging or walking; instead, the focus is how I FEEL before, during, and after each workout with a close eye on how my heart rate is responding.  If it takes me twice as long as it takes others to complete a certain mileage, I am absolutely ok with that.  This journey is about the scenery along my path as well as improved cardiovascular health, better sleep, reduced anxiety/stress, and the gift of time to listen to great playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks.

Your goal may not look like mine, but that is not the point.  Rather, think about what process you want to embrace?  Increased movement throughout your day? Improved cardiovascular health? Increased flexibility and range of motion?  Maybe a little bit of all three, or maybe something completely different.  Once you have decided, work through the SMART process to develop your approach.  Take time to write it down or type it up.  There is something about the power of slowing down your thinking, and then putting your thoughts down in some form of print that brings clarity to your ideas.

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Begin first by simply reflecting on your current health status as well as current lifestyle.  What could YOU realistically do to move the needle towards a gentle process of increased health.  Be honest in your self assessment, but NOT judgemental.  Once your idea is clear, write/type your thoughts using the SMART steps:

  • Be specific:  Is your goal clear and defined?  For example, the ability to walk for ____ minutes without stopping, or increased stamina to finish a 5K, or the strength to carry ____ grocery bags into the house independently.
  • Measurable: Can it be tracked or measured? How do you know if you are making progress? If your goal is to walk without stopping for a certain amount of time, perhaps each week you dedicate three days per week to walking, starting with the length of time you can comfortably walk now, and increasing that time by one minute each successive week as long as your body is comfortably recovering.
  • Achievable: Will the process be challenging but attainable?  This is the sweet spot that only you can determine.  For example, given your age and health status, walking a 5K may not be realistic, but perhaps focusing on the process of walking 15-20 minutes may be attainable with small incremental increases in walking time over several weeks or months.
  • Realistic: Is your goal relevant to your life purpose?  For example, my life purpose is to remain mobile, heart healthy, and mentally agile in order to make a positive contribution to others for as long as I possibly can. Therefore, challenging myself with a process of increased cardiovascular health is one of a handful of processes I can realistically develop.
  • Timely: Can you set a date in order to hold yourself accountable to the process? This is why the process of training for half-marathons works for me.  I can choose an event that fits my schedule, and gradually build towards that goal.  Plus, I make a monetary commitment, which I know will hold me accountable.  Along the way, I find ways to celebrate, enjoy, and embrace each little step in the process.  Once the date has come and gone, I will consider my next SMART process that will further my health and ultimately, life purpose.

You do not have to run/walk a half-marathon like me to embrace the process of SMART goals.  The point is to let go of certain outcomes established by others who don’t know you nor have your same values.  Rather, get clear on your life purpose, then ask yourself what you can do to improve your own health towards achieving that goal.  Don’t beat yourself up with unrealistic expectations of others.  Get quiet, get honest, and get “smart.”  With this clarity, you will be able to come up with the best approach for you.

Here’s to your smart version of healthy in 2023.  May you continue to fulfill your own life purpose with vitality!  And, don’t hesitate to reach out, and let me know how it’s going!  I am cheering for you!

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Unwrap your best holiday health: Ways to keep moving from Thanksgiving through those New Year’s Celebration

by stephsimply, posted in Simple Observations and Musings

“Take care of your body. It’s the one place you have to live.”–Jim Rohn

This is my fifth installment of celebrating and encouraging movement for everyone.  If you’ve read my previous pieces, you already know that my goal is fairly simple.  I want to encourage everyone to move more in whatever manner works best for you, your body, and your schedule.  I do not believe in one-size fits all when it comes to fitness and health goals.  Instead, I am writing to explore techniques, habits, and motivations for incorporating more movement into life, even during the upcoming holiday season.

Why should you consider maintaining your movement/exercise routine during the weeks of Thanksgiving through the New Year celebration?  There are many possible reasons, but only you can decide your why(s).  Personally, it allows me to feel as if I have accomplished one positive thing for the day.  If everything else derails throughout the day, at least I exercised–even if it had to be for a reduced amount of time.  However, there are so many more valid reasons.

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Increased movement and exercise is one positive way to combat the stress that often accompanies this season.  Although stress isn’t a disease, per se, it is the body’s physical, mental, and emotional responses to external events, especially change, which often occur from Thanksgiving through the New Year celebrations. High levels of holiday stress can detrimentally impact mental health.  However, being physically active throughout the holidays is a proven technique to significantly reduce stress levels.

Along the same lines, exercise during the holiday season can provide structure to your schedule. If you have already committed to moving more throughout your day/week, and you have already been consistently applying it, then continuing to follow through with that plan builds at least a sense of familiarity and comfort.  Even if you have to reduce your time and/or days for physical activity, there is at least that semblance of reassurance that you are choosing to still take care of yourself, which can increase the likelihood of making another healthier choice throughout your day/week.

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As counterintuitive as it may seem, exercise gives you more energy during the holidays.  Harvard Health explains it this way. Increased movement and exercise increases oxygen circulation, which in turn, allows your body to energy more efficiently and therefore function better.  Furthermore, exercise increases cellular level changes, including augmenting the production of mitochondria inside your muscle cells. Having more mitochondria translates to your body possessing an adequate energy supply.  Plus, exercise boosts the production of the feel-good hormones that likewise make you feel more energetic.

Exercise and increased movement is a proven way to combat anxiety and depression, often associated with the holiday season. Let’s be honest, for many people, the holidays often serve as a reminder of loved ones and traditions lost to the past.  For others, the increased requirements for more socialization, or so-called holiday-expectations, can trigger the desire to curl up in a fetal position and hide until the season is over.  Furthermore, increased levels of darkness often precipitate seasonal affective disorders (SAD), a form of depression that affects approximately 10 million people annually. Physical activity is a proven method for reducing symptoms by releasing endorphins that increase positive feelings.  

Physical activity can reduce increased sedentary behavior associated with late fall and winter months. Colder and/or inclement weather can reduce motivation to get outside and move. It’s only natural to want to stay in and watch sporting events, stream series, or watch old movies while noshing your way through comfort food snacks and often calorie laden beverages.  While there’s nothing inherently wrong with these behaviors, too much inactivity is not beneficial to the body, mind, and even spirit.  A commitment to physical activity, even if it is laps around your house on commercial breaks during sporting events or between streaming episodes will go a long way promoting your overall well-being.

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In spite of all of these benefits, it can still feel challenging to maintain that fitness plan or movement goals you have established for yourself in previous months.  However, there are ways that can help you overcome obstacles.  The key is finding the ones that work for you as no one method/approach works for everyone.

Walk, march, or even jog around the neighborhood, if weather permits, or inside your house.  Even walking, marching, or jogging in place is beneficial!  If you don’t have time for your usual amount of time, such as 20 or 30 minutes, break it up into smaller time periods spread throughout the day.  If that isn’t possible, even one shorter burst of activity is better than none!

Consider exercising with an app, DVD, or streaming platform.  There are numerous apps and platforms that are free or reasonably priced.  In fact, you can even look up “holiday themed workouts” on Youtube lasting anywhere from 10-30+ minutes!

Inexpensive, portable exercise equipment are the perfect solution when traveling.

Invest in personal, home exercise equipment for use during inclement weather, traveling, or when short on time. Resistance bands and tubing, jump ropes, and exercise mats  are inexpensive, and easy to transport when traveling and/or visiting family/friends. The bands/tubing come in different sizes and resistant levels and require little training.  In fact, most come with a workout plan or can be found online.

Think outside the box, but keep it simple: 

  • Wake up 15-20 minutes earlier for a short movement period.  
  • Be mindful of the number of steps you take throughout the day, and challenge yourself to complete more than the day before.  
  • Wear exercise shoes when shopping and add power walk breaks in between stores or consider more frequent walks to your parked car after a store visit to stow away bags. 
  • Rethink your lunchtime, if your job allows, and use it as an opportunity for a short walk.
  • Challenge a fitness buddy to hold each other accountable to a realistic daily or weekly goal.
  • Complete bodyweight exercises throughout the day, such as push-ups against desk, body weight squats and lunges, chair tricep dips, twists, stretch, and so forth.  You might get a whole body workout by the day’s end!
  • Set realistic expectations and plan accordingly.  Consider reducing time/numbers of days per week, and then make a commitment to those.
  • Make movement part of the family/friend traditions if possible.  A family walk or dance session after a big holiday meal can not only improve digestion, but take the edge of any accumulated stress.
  • Make a holiday playlist.  It doesn’t have to be holiday music.  Instead, create a special playlist that motivates you when your energy is low.
  • Make sleep a priority too.  A well rested body moves with greater ease.
  • Hydrate consistently.  (Think of all the added sodium in those holiday treats.)

The holidays do not have to derail your exercise/movement routine.  There’s only one you and one body in which you live.  Therefore, think of physical activity during the holidays as the one gift you can give to yourself.  With a bit of flexibility, creative thinking, and determined mindset, you can continue to unwrap better health, one step, or choice of movement, at a time. 

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Good Fitness Doesn’t Have to Cost an Arm and a Leg

by stephsimply, posted in Simple Observations and Musings

“To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise.”–Gene Tunney

For the past two months I have written a couple of pieces focused on the importance of incorporating movement into your life.  It is my belief that movement benefits everyone and can add years to your life and life to years.  Therefore, this month, I’d like to blow open the myth that fitness requires a gym or club membership and/or requires special, and often, expensive equipment.  Rather, I’d like to shed light on free, nearly free, and budget friendly ways to increase movement and exercise.

Remember, in a capitalistic society, corporations and businesses want to make money.  Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with that, but my point is that you do not have to buy into all the slick and pretty packaged marketing!  As a consumer, you DO have choice.  So when those social media pop-up ads try to convince you that you need this “exclusive, just-for-you, one-time only offer” for a studio/gym membership or the “latest, greatest, in-debt-til-die exercise equipment, you absolutely have my permission to walk away—for real.

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In fact, walking, according to both the Mayo Clinic and University Hospitals 

Network is considered, “just as good as any other form of exercise.”  Of course, walking at a steady pace for a given period of time is the best, but all forms of walking count towards your overall health.  Walking for exercise is free, all you need is a supportive, comfortable pair of shoes.  It can be completed solo or with friends.  Plus, it can be completed in a multitude of  indoor and outdoor sites.  However, walking isn’t the only inexpensive way to increase movement and exercise into your life.

You can do housework or yard work as a workout.  Cue your favorite up-tempo tunes, set a timer, if you’d like, and get to work.  Keep moving until the job is done or the timer rings–whichever works best for you. 

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If you have younger kids or grandkids, play with them.  Take them to a park if you don’t have access to a yard.  Better yet, ask them to join you while you walk, bike, hike a trail, or jog.  Play soccer, shoot some hoops, throw frisbee, toss a baseball or softball.  Other options include, but are not limited to, volleyball, pickleball, tennis, golf (make sure you’re walking if you want the full workout), badminton, and so on.  There are so many ways to move, play, and enjoy your kids/grandkids and even get to know some of their friends. Of course, all of these activities can also be enjoyed with friends!

“Free workout options include walking, pushups, planks and walking up and down the steps of your house.”–Joe Cannon, MS, certified strength and conditioning specialist, NSCA certified personal trainer

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Make use of equipment at home and youtube videos (or other sites to which you may have access).  With just your body weight, a chair, and stool, you can get a whole body strength workout. You can even use canned goods and water bottles/jugs as “weights.”  Honestly, there are so many free workouts available online that require little to no equipment that can provide fantastic cardio and/or strength workouts.

Two worthwhile items I do regularly use are a quality yoga mat and athletic shoes.  Both of these are versatile and worthwhile investments.  The yoga mat not only can be used for yoga, but it can also be used for any type of exercise that requires time on one’s back, belly, hands, and/or knees.  This one time investment is portable; it can be used on a back deck or patio, carried to the park, or taken along when traveling.  Similarly, a pair of good-fitting shoes are just as versatile.  Personally, I am always willing to invest a bit more for personal service to determine a proper fit for a supportive workout shoe from my local neighborhood running/walking store. (Shout out to Robert’s Running and Walking Shop!) 

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Other pieces of inexpensive equipment to consider:

  • Exercise bands and/or tubing (love these inexpensive items!)
  • Free weights, kettlebells, and/or medicine ball (in light, medium, and “heavier” variations)
  • Jumprope
  • Step bench (can be used both for cardio and strength training)
  • Fitness ball (can be used for a variety of core exercises)
  • Exercise DVD or apps (many apps are free or a low-cost)

Learn to be a savvy shopper.  You don’t automatically have to buy from one place, nor do you need to purchase items all at once.  Gradually add pieces, and consider purchasing used items on Amazon, eBay, Facebook market, Goodwill, and consignment shops.  I am often amazed at what I find at both Goodwill and consignment shops for next to nothing.

Budget friendly pieces of exercise equipment can be gradually added to your collection. You can even build your own step bench.

Personally, I love to find free fitness plans on-line, and modify them to fit my age/fitness level.  There are so many good sites, many of which I outlined in a previous article.  Once you find a plan you like, there are no decisions to make.  Simply follow the outlined plan for the set-number of days/weeks.  Your heart, mind, and body will thank you.  One word of caution, however, be sure the plan is appropriate for your level of fitness.  You want to set yourself up for success, so choose wisely.

Other budget-friendly tips include:

  • Split a gym membership with a friend.  Many gyms offer a payment plan that allows you to bring a friend for “free” for x-number of workouts. 
  • Join walking or running clubs.  Many parks, walking/running shoe stores, and even some malls offer these for little to no cost
  •  Join community gyms.  Many religious centers and some communities offer gym memberships for little cost to no cost.
  • Try donation based classes.  Many yoga studios and community centers offer weekly donation classes that are paid as or if you can.

Bottom line, you absolutely do not have to pay much, if anything, for a quality workout.   Other than perhaps quality footwear, you can absolutely get an excellent workout without spending any of your hard earned money.  Therefore, don’t let budgetary restrictions keep you from putting a little pep in your step and vitality in your years. Exercise your right to ignore those money-mongering marketers, and take charge of your own health AND budget! 

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