When it comes to developing a healthy exercise regime, there tends to be a point where you reach a crossroads. We know maintaining good exercise habits is unlikely to come for free, but the costs are rarely just financial.
If we’re being honest, there are two ways that a core exercise regime can cost you:
- It can cost you in terms of time. If you’re juggling a busy job and trying to have a social life, it can feel like exercise is taking away from you more than it’s giving.
- Secondly, an established exercise regime can cost you in terms of money. Sometimes, the cost is quite literal – and many of us find ourselves shelling out cash for our exercise fix. There’s the specialist clothes, the shoes, the cost of a gym membership – it all begins to add up.
As you continue through the year, carefully sticking to your planned regime even on days when you really don’t want to… there is an inevitable crash. At some point, one of those two issues is going to be a brick wall in front of you continuing the way that you are. It’s not a particularly high brick wall – it’s definitely one that you can overcome – but it’s still there, and that means you have to make a few decisions.
If Money Is The Problem…
If you spend $70 a month going to the gym, that might seem like a good deal. Access to machines, classes, so on and so forth, not to mention the shower and spa facilities. The only thing is, if you’re struggling for cash, it might be a luxury you can’t afford. It could be more prudent for you to consider an investment in a piece of gym equipment you can use at home.
Of course, that’s going to have an initial expense, but you can mitigate some of that cost by hunting for deals. With the popularity of exercise these days, it’s more than possible to find yourself the best treadmill under $500 that will suit your needs, or look for a secondhand exercise bike you can keep in the spare room. No, these options might not be as flashy and luxurious as the gym, but after the initial purchase price it’s not going to cost you a penny to continue using them.
If Time Is The Problem…
You should probably think about reducing the length of your workouts. There’s no reason that shorter stints should be any less beneficial for your health. While this is not going to stop you having to do the things that go around a workout – like showering – it is going to make a big difference to how long you spend working out.
If Both Are The Problem…
Finally, if you find yourself facing this situation, then you have to make a choice – which makes more sense to the rest of your lifestyle? If you feel like you’re missing out on precious moments with friends and family, then that might be your priority. Also, check out borrowing and loaning here: https://fatlama.com/
Similarly, exercise should never reach a point where it’s putting you into a bad financial situation. It’s worth bearing in mind that, with at-home equipment, you don’t have to factor in the time and money to work out the way you otherwise would. For that reason, it may be your best way forward.