Exercise for Free: 10 Fun Ways to Exercise on a Budget You'll Want to

by Suchot - The Curious Frugal

Wanna get fit for cheap? Here are 10 fun ways to exercise for free or cheap. Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t get fitter and healthier too! You don’t need to spend thousands on expensive gym memberships that you’ll barely use. From cheap ways to exercise at home, to free ways to exercise outside, there is something for everyone. So grab your mat or your runners and let’s go!

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Exercise for Free or Cheap

We all know that exercise is good for us, but it never hurts to hear a reminder:

exercise controls weight
improves mood
boosts energy
improves health
helps us sleep better
lots more! (source: Mayo Clinic)

Many people are looking for cheap ways to exercise and the good news is that there are many, many ways to get exercise without buying expensive equipment or joining a gym.

Here are just 10 of the many cheap ways to get exercise or even exercise for free.

1. Carry Things Around With You

Be like an ant.

Or a toddler (they are freakishly strong, or was that just my daughter?)

Walking whenever you can is good exercise, but carrying extra weight along will add to the benefit.

Carry a book bag with something heavy in it while walking at the park.

Carry a jug of detergent in your hands going up and down the steps at home, whatever you can do to add a little something extra to your routine.

My mom purse probably adds 10 pounds of weight to what I carry around with me daily.

2. Park Farther From Your Destination

We know this way to exercise for free, but do we do it?

Yes we should park in the next lot over from the store, but look there is someone leaving the perfect spot ten feet away from the door. It’s parking karma, and you shouldn’t mess with that *ish. So you take the close spot.

We all do that. But we can get into a better habit.

Parking farther from our destination is probably the simplest way to get more exercise and it is not only cheap but it is free.

Next time, ignore that perfect close-to-the-door spot, and park farther.

Park at the end of parking lots or a few blocks from your destination and walk.

3. Pace The Floor Instead Of Sitting

We spend a lot of our life waiting for appointments and other things.

Don’t just sit around but get up and pace the floor if it is not practical to go outside and walk.

Even standing is better than sitting if you have to wait. It burns more calories than sitting, and tones your legs too.

Look for these simple, everyday ways to exercise for free.

4. Get an Extra Job or Pick up Odd Jobs

Almost any job will help to burn calories more than sitting on the couch but many jobs can be found that will burn a lot of calories.

Working odd jobs such as mowing grass, raking leaves, and shoveling snow are great ways to get exercise.

Here are 8 ways to make an extra $1000 a month.

Make Money Gardening: 9 Simple Ways to Make $1000/month From Your Garden
Walk dogs for Rover
Work as an Instacart Shopper

5. Exercise for Free by Cleaning More around the Home

Cleaning requires a lot of physical movement and is a great cheap way to get exercise.

Plus a cleaner home can’t hurt anything. (Note to self as a busy mompreneur…)

6. Take Up Hiking

Hiking in the outdoors is a great way to burn stress, enjoy the outdoors, and get some exercise.

Look for nearby places where you can hike on uneven terrain to make the workout more difficult.

exercise for free 10 fun ways to exercise on a budget you ll want to

7. Lift Weights

Lifting weights is another cheap way to get exercise.

Whether you lift small amounts of weight a lot to build endurance or large amounts of weight for shorter periods to build bulk, both are great ways to burn calories.

8. Exercise for Free by Working In the Yard

Yard work in the hot sun is a great way to burn calories.

Raking leaves, mowing grass, pulling weeds, planting flowers are all good exercise.

Here are some gardening posts you might like:

9. Free Exercise Videos at Home

There is almost every kind of indoor exercise you’d want to do available online for free.

Some of my favorites:

10. Exercise for Free at Fitness Parks

You don’t need to buy your own exercise equipment or join a gym – you can exercise outside for free at local fitness parks.

Most cities will have a fitness park somewhere – just Google for your city to find the one closest to you.

Do the whole circuit, or pick and choose the equipment you want to work on. You’ll get a great workout for free, and get fresh air at the same time (MUCH better than gym air!).

Bonus Way to Exercise for Free: Volunteer To Help the Elderly or Disabled

Many elderly or disabled people need help doing things that require some physical effort. This is a cheap way to get some exercise and help others at the same time.

Next steps:

If you have a bigger budget than free but you still want to save money on exercise, check out these 7 affordable peloton alternatives. You’ll save a ton of money on an awesome piece of exercise equipment, and get super fit at home. Plus you won’t have the excuse of not wanting to commute to anywhere to exercise if it’s right in your home.

Read this: Saving Money by Growing Your Own Food + 7 Best Vegetables to Grow to Save Money.

Sign up for Rover to walk dogs and get paid to exercise!

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