Can't afford to renew your gym membership? Try this.

Image: Nat getting her fit on outdoors.

My gym membership expired last week, and I was all ready to go ahead and renew it… until I did the maths around my financial situation.

I can’t afford to renew it. And this sucks, because I’m really going to miss it. The hot yoga classes, the overly enthusiastic Zumba instructor, the Saturday morning ab workouts, the hair straighteners in the bathrooms… oh, it was a happy, workout-y place.

There are probably a lot of you out there that are in a similar situation – you just can’t spare the cash that a gym membership requires. Or maybe you can, and you just don’t want to, because you’d rather save it for other things that you like better. That’s okay. Totally acceptable.

The only problem is that it’s easy to get stuck without a gym. You probably have little to no equipment, and no personal trainers or group fitness instructors to help you along the way.

It’s just you. And maybe an old skipping rope that you scrounged out of your garage.

With that in mind, here’s what I’m doing each week in place of my gym classes…

3 days per week

I’ll be running. And not on a treadmill – I’ll be outside. After all, the park is free, and once you’ve invested in decent running shoes and a good sports bra, there’s really no more money that needs to be forked out on this little endeavour.

The other bonus? It’s actually better to run outdoors than indoors on a treadmill – you get fitter faster, as there’s more variety in terrain and you’re working against the elements. Just make sure you plan for conditions to be less-than-ideal on particularly rainy or wet days, and don’t run alone if you’re going to be running in the dark (or download the SafeRunner app, which calls an emergency contact if your headphones are pulled out of your phone while you run).

Running for just 30 minutes, three days per week, will surprisingly increase your fitness by a long way. If you’re a bit stuck on where to begin, you can’t go past the C25K app, the beginner’s running program to beat all other programs.

If you’re pressed for time, incorporate your workout into your commute. I used to run halfway home and then catch the bus the rest of the way – it was about 4km and I didn’t have to do anything once I got home. Winner.

2 days per week

I’ll be taking part in strength-and-core-training sessions that will help with my cardio training and endurance. One day, I hope to be able to plank for more than 15 seconds. Maybe.

I used to do HIIT (high intensity interval training) sessions at the gym, and they were excellent – they involve doing different high-intensity exercises and alternating intervals of rest and work for maximum efficiency.

I was a bit stuck on this one when my gym membership expired. Sure, I could just do random squats and lunges at home, but I get a bit lost without someone guiding me along the way.

Happily, I discovered Way of Grey – it’s a company run by a Canadian personal trainer named Sophie, who has put together a whole lot of e-books that you can get for $10 a pop. I bought the HIIT ebook and have been doing the workouts ever since. They take about 30 mins each, there’s no equipment required and they KICK YOUR BUTT. Also, you don’t need to leave the house to do them.

Another option is to go on the Fitnessblender Youtube channel and do one of their Youtube HIIT workouts. This one is 40 minutes of pain, but you’ll feel great the next day:

1 day per week

I do a yoga session. My favourite website is Do Yoga With Me, because it offers hundreds of completely free yoga videos. They’re all rated and timed so you can pick a 45 minute beginner session if you like, or a 20 minute advanced session if that’s what you’re into.

Other options…

– Go swimming at your local pool. Mine costs about $4 per entry. It’s a cheap, excellent and low-intensity workout that works every muscle in your body. If you’re not too keen on swimming aimlessly, Speedo have developed free programs for every ability level with Geoff Huegill, which you can find here.

– Try a barre body session using the free videos over at the Barre Body online studio. They are SO GOOD for toning up your body, and you can pick a workout that goes anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes.

– Join Parkrun and go for a 5km run every Saturday. For free.

– Invest in workout DVDs and do them over and over again to get your money’s worth (this is a good one if you’re not easily bored). I’ve heard great things about Michelle Bridges‘ line of workout DVDs, especially from mums, who can do them while the kids are at home (and the kids can even join in, if they like).

– Buy a skipping rope or get on the kids’ trampoline. Jumping is exhausting.

– Browse Youtube for the best workout videos. Some good channels include BeFit and Blogilates.

– Get on Pinterest and check out some of the workout plans available there. They’ll incorporate squats, jumping jacks, push-ups, crunches, burpess, bicycles and everything else under the sun for a quick and effective workout that you can do on your bedroom floor.

– Put on some epic music and shake your booty as much as physically possible for at least 15 minutes.

– Go for a walk. Preferably along the water, with a friend. They’re the loveliest kind.

What’s your favourite way to stay fit without forking out cash for a gym membership?

We think you’ll also love:

This is the only acceptable way to brag about your run

The 20 most popular workout songs right now

The 7 kinds of people you’ll find at the gym