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"Making Tyler a FIT CITY one step, one bite and one health-conscious decision at a time" |
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Money may be tight, but it doesn’t mean you should give up on being fit. There are some cost-cutting ways to get the results you’d get by working with a personal trainer or joining a group fitness class at the gym. Here are just a few.
1. Walking/running/biking — There are several trails around Tyler including Rose Rudman, at Faulkner Park and Texas State Park. There are also trails surrounding the Glass Recreation Center, 501 W. 32nd St. The center is affordable — $15 per year for adults and $10 for children. Walking and running clubs are also free or low-cost. If unable to walk around your neighborhood or get to a trail, look for walking DVDs in the fitness section of book stores.
2. Personal trainer — If you can’t afford to hire a personal trainer, online personal training is available online. Freetrainers.com is one example of a site that lets you tailor a workout program.
3. Equipment — Used treadmills, bikes, stair climbing machines, weight benches and other fitness equipment can be found at discount department stores, thrift shops and garage sales. Can’t buy anything? Chairs and other pieces of furniture can be used to do incline/decline pushups or lower body work.
4. The gym — Ask your employer about corporate discounts to a gym or look for membership sales and specials. Also, most gyms have a “bring-a-friend-for-free” trial. A temporary pass may be what you need to pump up the motivation to work out at home or elsewhere.
5. At work/school — Researchers say those with sedentary jobs should get up and move every hour, even people who are active outside of work. Depending on your company, you could also use strength bands for quick hits of exercise, sit on a fitness ball instead of a chair, park further away in the parking lot, take the stairs instead of an elevator, or use part of lunch-time and breaks for walks. Some places around Tyler have been inspired to offer lunch-time or evening group fitness classes for their employees. Check with your human resource manager to see what is available or ask to establish some kind of wellness activity at work.
6. At home — Invite a friend or a group of friends over for work outs. If you have a yard, make use of it by gardening, mowing, walking or any other physical activity.
7. Groceries — Although fresh asparagus and whole wheat products are more expensive than a bag of chips or Little Debbie Brownies, you’ll see that you will actually spend less on food when you limit portion sizes and fill up on nutritional items. Fresh greens such as kale, collards and spinach as well as beans and bags of chicken breasts or tilapia go a long way if you change the way you eat and how you view food.
8. Sharing — If you have a friend or group of friends/co-workers working toward the same goals, share in the expense. You can meet at different locations or at each other’s homes for workouts and take turns preparing dinner. Also, you can swap fitness equipment while getting the motivation needed for your fitness journey.
9. The internet — There are tons of full-length workouts by certified instructors and trainers on YouTube. Also, see hulu.com for Gaiam’s fitness channel. The web is a great resource for free workout logs, fitness templates and meal-planning worksheets. In addition, fitness sites such as Sparkpeople and My Fitness Pal make it easy to track progress.
10. Team it up — Volleyball and basketball are fun, free ways to get exercise. The Glass Recreation Center has a volleyball league and open basketball times at the facility. Check cityoftyler.com or call 903-595-7271 for more information. In addition, most city parks have basketball and tennis courts. You can also check with your employer to see if they are interested in creating a corporate team and/or joining a corporate challenge.
