The risks associated with being overweight -- including diabetes, stroke, heart disease and cancer -- make getting in shape essential to your long-term wellness. An effective plan for fitness requires changes to your diet and levels of physical activity, although you won't need to spend money on a celebrity-endorsed meal plan or a personal trainer to meet your goals. Recognize some free or low-cost ways you can get in shape in order to start on the path to a healthy body.
Easy Aerobic Options
Aerobic exercise that requires continuous movement is typically the first step in an effective fitness plan, as the activity benefits numerous aspects of your health. Get in shape for free by considering a brisk walk or jog through your neighborhood or around the lake. Swimming is also aerobic and provides a whole-body workout, while dancing to your favorite music, or along to an aerobic dance DVD, is an ideal way to burn calories and lose weight.
Additional low-cost aerobic options include riding your bicycle or joining your friends for a game of basketball, soccer, tennis or volleyball. People who perform aerobic exercise consistently often enjoy reduced stress and a lessened chance for high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.
Strength Building
Strength training is key to a balanced fitness plan, as workouts that build muscle do more than improve your appearance. The muscles in your body begin to decrease as you grow older, which causes an increase in your overall fat. Adding muscle helps reduce fat and allows you to burn calories with better efficiency. While free weights like barbells and dumbbells can be purchased relatively inexpensively, you'll build muscle for free by performing squats, pushups, sit-ups and pullups. Resistance tubing also offers a cheap alternative to weights and is available at most fitness stores. The elastic tubing is lightweight and promotes muscle growth through stretching exercises.
Nutrition & Lifestyle
Celebrity cookbooks and fad diets that promise easy weight loss often require pricey foods and, in some instances, can threaten your health, especially if you consume less than 1,200 calories daily. A proven low-calorie diet that aids weight loss and helps you get in shape includes nutritious foods available at your local grocery, like vegetables, whole grains, fruits and low-fat dairy products. Avoid sugar and saturated fats and never skip breakfast. A healthy night of sleep also aids your fitness and won't cost money. People who sleep less than seven hours often suffer hormone changes that lead to cravings for high-calorie foods.
Safe Timelines
Exercising too little or excessively can hinder your benefits and increase your injury risk. Health experts typically recommend aerobic activity at a moderate level of intensity on most days of the week for at least 30 to 40 minutes. An effective strength-training regimen includes workouts on three days weekly for 20 to 30 minutes. Your doctor's approval of your exercise plan is essential, especially if you have a serious medical condition.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Strength Training: Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier; June 2010
- President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports: Exercise and Weight Control
- KidsHealth.org: Strength Training; May 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Aerobic Exercise: Top 10 Reasons To Get Physical; Feb. 2011
- Sports Fitness Advisor.com: Resistance Band Exercise
- MayoClinic.com: Obesity; Oct. 2010
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