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Exercising on a budget

Exercise - budget; Weight loss - Exercise; Obesity - exercise

You do not need a pricey gym membership or fancy equipment to get regular exercise. With a little creativity, you can find many ways to exercise for little or no money.

If you have heart disease or diabetes, be sure you check with your health care provider before starting to exercise.

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Walking for health

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Take a Walk

Walking is one of the easiest and least expensive forms of exercise. All you need is a pair of comfortable shoes. Walking gives you a great workout that you can tailor to your own fitness level. Plus, you can find many ways to add walking to your day:

Just make sure you are walking fast enough to benefit your health. If you can talk, but not sing your favorite lyrics, you are walking at a moderate pace. Start at this pace, and go faster as you get fitter. You can also buy a pedometer that will track your steps. Many will calculate calories burned and distance, too.

Create a Home Gym

You do not need expensive exercise gear and equipment to have a home gym. By making the most of what you already have, you can work out at home without breaking the bank.

Use Your Own Body Weight

Whether you work out indoors at home or outdoors, there are many exercises you can do that use your own body weight to help you tone muscle. These include:

To make sure you use proper form, go to the online exercise library at the American Council on Exercise. They also have sample workout routines you can try.

Look for Low-cost Fitness Options

Many sports and activities are free or cost little to begin with.

References

American Council on Exercise website. Exercise database & library. www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/exercise-library/. Accessed October 13, 2023.

Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, et al. 2019 ACC/AHA guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2019;140(11):e563-e595. PMID: 30879339 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30879339/.

Buchner DM, Kraus WE. Physical activity. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 13.

Piercy KL, Troiano RP, Ballard RM, et al.. The physical activity guidelines for Americans. JAMA. 2018:20;320(19):2020-2028. PMID: 30418471 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30418471/.

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Review Date: 5/12/2022  

Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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