Alright let’s clear the air for a moment—what you see in beauty magazines isn’t real, is most likely airbrushed, and typically not what the mainstream sees as beautiful. So when I talk about getting fit for your summer body, that’s all it is—getting fit and in shape. And let’s face it, there’s a lot of pressure to look good in that teeny bikini or those surfer shorts, but you don’t have to blow a couple hundred on a gym membership to do it. So if you’re looking to get in-shape this summer without spending a lot of money, then the frugal lifestyle is for you.
It’s Zumba time
You’ve probably heard of this by now, because lately Zumba is all the rage in gyms like the YMCA. Additionally, if you’ve ever gone out to the clubs on a Saturday night, you know the kind of workout you get from dancing. To do this, you can look around for a cheap class that fits into your personal budget, but if you’d rather manage your expenses more frugally, there’s always YouTube. Everyone puts up “how-to” videos online, so finding some free workout videos isn’t hard. Plus, there’s always Zumba for the Nintendo Wii.
Exercise video games
That Zumba on the Wii brings me to my next tip on living the frugal life and getting into shape. Game consoles these days are starting to make movement a larger part of the gaming experience. Now for those of us who are couch potatoes and play games because we want to have fun and not dance around, hopefully those types of games won’t became extinct. However, there are some of you out there who want to get up and move, and like to have fun doing it. Well, that’s why there are plenty of games out there like Wii exercise games and Xbox Kinect Boxing to get your blood pumping while goofing around and saving money. It’s like getting workout equipment for your home, for all ages.
Play some sports
If exercise routines in front of the TV or dance exercise videos aren’t your jam, then maybe you’d more enjoy playing a sport. There are very few sports out there that don’t require constant movement, and over time, all that moving around will help you lose weight. When I was a kid, I had a lot of baby fat still hanging around, and it wasn’t until I joined a swim team that I slimmed down. Plus, if you didn’t know, it takes 30 minutes for your body to get warmed up to start burning calories. So go out and play some for fun sports with your friends or even a couple of strangers if you’re a social jitterbug.
Exercising frugality is easy after all
As you can tell by now exercise routines and dancing are some of the cheapest ways to lose weight, get into shape, and work your body out of your clothes and into that swimsuit. If you’d like more options for working out and having a fun time doing it, I recently wrote this article about cheap workout exercise videos on Money Saving Pro. Also, be sure to leave a comment below. I’d love to hear what you have to say and what other tips you may have to share.
This is a guest post by Jordan Rodriguez, a Staff writer for Money Saving Pro.
Image thanks to L.A. Fitness Solutions on Flickr.