How to Get Fit without a Gym

It's an excuse many of us have heard or even said ourselves: I want to get fit, but I can't afford a gym membership. While a health club can be a fantastic place to work out, it's not the only way to get fit. In fact, you can enjoy a variety of different workouts at home or outdoors that are extremely low cost and sometimes even free!

If you think that building strength or losing weight takes a gym or fancy fitness equipment, think again. Declare your independence from the gym with these 10 plans.

DIY Bootcamp

An outdoor bootcamp can be a lot of fun—who doesn't like fresh air and a good challenge? You can always create your own bootcamp, but it's more fun with a group, so gather a few pals and hit a local park with open space, trees, benches and other landmarks. With your group, agree on a duration of time you'll spend working out, then brainstorm different strength and cardio exercises you can perform using what's found around you. Get creative! Examples might include triceps dips on a park bench, seated squats up against a tree, pushups with your feet on a curb, sprints to a pond and back, and even hill repeats. No matter which exercises you choose, be sure to warm up with a 5-minute walk and cool down with some gentle stretching.

Pop In a Workout DVD

There really isn't an excuse not to work out at home with the vast array of workout DVDs and online videos available, including Pilates, dance, strength, kickboxing—the list goes on and on. While many videos require little to no equipment, others allow you to use things you have around the house such as soup cans as dumbbells or a chair for support. No matter what level of exerciser you are, there's something out there for you!

Walk It Out

Walking is one of the best activities to do because it requires only a pair of supportive shoes, and it's something that comes very naturally to most of us! If you're a beginner, hit the pavement at a pace that gets you slightly out of breath, but not so much that you can't carry on a conversation. If you're a seasoned exerciser, walk in an area with hills or try intervals of speed walking followed by a slower-paced walk.

As you get stronger and build endurance, consider adding in some jogging intervals to continue challenging yourself. Whether it's around your neighborhood, at a park or on a track, running burns more calories than almost any other cardiovascular activity, and those who do it regularly claim that the "runner's high" is the real deal.

Circuit Train

Circuit training is a great way to fit in your cardio and strength training simultaneously. To do it on your own at home, grab 10 small note cards and write one exercise on each: five cardio moves (jump rope, high knees, mountain climbers) and five strength moves (pushups, lunges, crunches). Shuffle the cards. Warm up for five minutes by marching in place, then draw a card and do that exercise as many times as you can for one minute. Then, move on to the next card for one minute. Try to go through the full set of cards, working up to running through the circuit of cards two, three even four or five times!

Embrace Your Inner Yogi

One of the best things about yoga is that you only need your body and a mat to do it. From online workouts that explain the poses to a variety of free yoga videos on YouTube, you can try any style of yoga without leaving your living room. You can even download workouts to your phone and take your yoga practice outdoors! While yoga isn't known for its calorie burn, it is fantastic for flexibility and can be a muscle builder when doing more strenuous poses like plank. It's also a wonderful stress reducer.

Take a Hike

If you live in an area with access to hiking trails, you're in for a real workout! Hiking is a great calorie-burner and aerobic workout—not to mention a fun and beautiful way to spend an afternoon! So grab a friend or loved one, lace up those hiking boots, pack some water and food (depending on how long of a hike you're going on) and hike yourself fit. I guarantee the scenery and your feeling of accomplishment after hiking will be loads better than doing hills on a treadmill at the gym!

Go Old School

Get fit with a retro calisthenics workout. From jumping jacks to sit-ups to pushups and lunges, this dynamic form of working out requires nothing but your body weight and is just like what you did in P.E. as a kid. Revisit those early roots for some serious calorie burning and body strengthening!

Turn Housework Into a Workout

Yes, you can put the lean back in clean by turning your usual household chores into a heart-pumping workout. The key is to focus on cleaning activities that have a higher calorie burn such as scrubbing, vacuuming and washing windows. Turn on some upbeat tunes and really put your back into it. Even try throwing in some lunges, squats or pushups between chores to really feel the burn.

Play!

So few of us make time in our lives to just have fun and play. Whether it's engaging in a sport, playing an active video game or even just dancing around your living room, lighten up and do something active that you love. As long as you get your heart rate up you'll burn calories—and have a good time doing it. Consider an adult sports league to add a little friendly competition into the mix.

See? No more excuses about not making it to the gym. A world of fitness is right at your fingertips!

10 Ways to Get Fit Without Fancy Equipment