This season of “The Biggest Loser” is all about excuses, or more importantly “no excuses.” One of the excuses the show dealt with recently is “I can’t lose weight, it’s too expensive.” The show then took contestants through ways to work out without a gym, save money at the grocery store on healthy foods, etc. We can all afford a pair of tennis shoes and a good run, so we should all be able to work out and lose weight, right? But it’s more much of a tendency of Americans to spend spend spend on health and fitness. We buy group fitness classes, expensive gym memberships, pricey workout clothes, and more. And while for many people (myself included), these expensive workout perks are great motivation to get to the gym, for many they’re out of reach or simply impractical.
Health.com recently published the article “9 Ways to Save Money and Stay Fit” with phenomenal tips for cutting back on the cash portion of your workouts. It’s well worth the read. A few other tips from Career Girl Network:
- Find free classes. Most high-end studios offer a free class every week, or offer one week of free classes for new students. Take advantage of these. One of my favorite Chicago studios, FlyWheel, is offering free classes for anyone who brings a new student to classes at 7am or 7pm. Great opportunity for me, a current student, to introduce a friend and get a free class.
- Daily deal sites. There’s a new gym, studio, or personal trainer on sites like Groupon, LivingSocial, Gilt City, etc. every day. If you want to save money, get in on these deals.
- Find a rich partner. Do you have friends who have memberships at those big expensive gyms? Ask them to see if they can get you some guest passes. Usually gyms will give current members anywhere from 3 passes to a free week for a friend.
Work out smarter – and cheaper! It can be done.
About the Author: Marcy Twete
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book “You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works.” At Career Girl Network, Marcy provides women with information, resources, and networking to empower them in their careers and to advance the work of women in business as a whole. Prior to launching Career Girl Network, Marcy worked in numerous nonprofit organizations and as a consultant in the field of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and community relations. Marcy is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a native of rural North Dakota. She is the Vice Chair of the Chicago Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network in Chicago and a member of the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run Twin Cities, and is dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that move the needle for women and girls worldwide.
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