By Abbey
My grandfather nicknamed me “pepper pot” at age 2, thanks to my never-ending energy and somewhat sassy attitude (sorry, Mom!). Nevertheless, that energy is what made me fall in love with sports and staying active.
Sadly, after years of activity and running the Boston Marathon, my knees have taken a beating and I’m forced to look for ways to stay fit other than running. Unfortunately, running is the cheapest option, mostly because you pay for a pair of running shoes and can just go wherever the wind takes you. So, how can we save money and still find ways to stay active?
1. Check Out Your Park’s Websites: The Charles River Esplanade Association in Boston offers a fitness class each weekday from yoga to boot camp, completely free! Check out your city’s park websites to see their calendar of events to see if they have these easy ways to stay fit. Not only is it a fun way to save money but it’s also a great free date night idea!
2. Try a Free One-Week Gym Membership: Surprisingly, a lot of gyms offer one-week free trial memberships. According to CNBC, the average cost of a gym membership ranges from $40 to $50 a month and with the initiation fee, the cost goes up to around $800 a year! So, get the most out of your money and take advantage of this free fitness plan!
3. Get Friendly with Your Gym: Whether it’s through email, Facebook or Twitter, get connected to your gym! My exercise of choice is yoga and my studio routinely sends membership deals where 10 classes are $80 (usually $12-$15 each depending on if you’re a student). Not only do I get to save a great chunk of change, but I also get a frugal workout.
4. Join City Discount Sites: These websites routinely have deals in your city on everything from yoga classes to the Barre Method. My spinning studio was on GiltCity recently offering a 50% discount off of five classes. They make it so easy to find deals, so you can stop worrying about money, get fit and stay fit!
5. Join a Bike Share Program in Your City: Boston has Hubway, New York has CitiBike and Chicago has Bcycle. Cities all over the US are starting bike share programs, which promote both getting green and staying active. Not only can you save money on cab or subway fare, you can get a workout on your morning commute! An annual membership to CitiBike is $95 and as they say, that’s only 26 cents a day!
There are new ways to save money on exercise surfacing all the time and with a little research, you can be sure you don’t go over budget trying out the new trends (Pilates Barre, CrossFit, etc.). So, stop worrying about money and start ImpulseSaving towards your next vacation, because how else will you show off the fruits of your labor!?
