We had a baby in late July and I’m taking some time off to welcome him to the world. I am grateful to friends and fellow bloggers who are helping out with guest posts. This article is by Stefanie Cloutier of Thoughts from Space.
I don’t love to exercise, but I do love to eat chocolate, so as a result, I am committed to exercising five times a week. It really started as a way to counteract my (anticipated) slowing metabolism, because I just wasn’t willing to give up my afternoon sweet snack.
And after years of exercising five times a week, I’ve found I really need it as much for my mental/emotional health as for my physical well-being.
But I hate to spend a lot for it, and I get bored inside a gym. So I do a lot of my exercising from home, which is not to say I’ve set up a fancy home gym. Instead, I’ve collected a variety of inexpensive items to use indoors and out.
Indoors
It’s really so easy to outfit yourself for exercise at home: a few hand weights in different sizes, a stretchy band, and a mat and you can seriously do any exercise in your living room. I bought most of my stuff at TJ Maxx and Home Goods, but you can also check out Target, Walmart, or one of the warehouse stores.
I have five- and ten-pound weights, as well as a couple of wrist weights, and with those can put together several combinations of weights to use as I improve.
For weight programs, I troll through fitness magazines, and pick up tips and hints from websites. (Just google “exercise programs” and you’ll be amazed at the variety of programs that show up.)
In addition, my cable package includes on-demand programming, which has a variety of exercise programs right there on my TV. Whenever I want them – who knew?
Outdoors
Walking briskly and biking are two great ways to get outdoor exercise. Your bike really doesn’t have to be fancy — just in good working condition. I do join a bike group in the spring and the fall, partly to find new, interesting routes that take me out of my rut, and partly for the social aspect.
The cost is about $10 a ride, but for me it’s worth it. I also go on my own, and in the nice weather, I even use my bike to run errands around town, thereby killing two birds with one stone.
When I power-walk, I use the wrist weights to add challenge to the walk. (I don’t run – don’t like to, never have). I really like walking with a friend, and mixing it up by walking through woods as well as along roadways. Again, it’s a great way to get your exercise in while having a social visit.
And since I live in an area where it snows in the winter, I have cross-country skis. Don’t be afraid to dig out your old equipment — I happen to be using the same equipment I’ve had for over twenty years. If you don’t already own skis, wait until after the season is underway and most equipment will go on sale.
Plus, you can cross-country ski for free in so many places: in fields, wooded areas, across the local playground. There’s nothing more peaceful than gliding along after a snowstorm.
Plus, it’s a great way to make the winter go by faster, at least for someone like me who doesn’t really relish the season.
I think I’ll head outside and burn a few calories…
Stefanie co-wrote and performed in “The MOMologues,” the original comedy about motherhood; she does promotional writing and is the mother of two children who conducts her life as if every day was a recession.
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