Once you get into a routine though, exercise does become a comfortable habit. It’s the moment you deviate from the routine that will mess up the progress.

This final post about saving money on working out will cover cheap ways to get the training and actual workout program, while in your own home and not paying for a gym or activity membership. So, if you weren’t interested in my fantastic exercise ball routines, maybe one of these ideas will suit your exercise fancy.

Search Craiglist and Classifieds for Exercise Gear

If you would prefer building a small mini gym in your home, you may want to look over Craigslist or your newspaper ads for used treadmills and exercise equipment. I am currently on the hunt for a treadmill myself but I’m holding out for really cheap and really fancy. Good luck, right? I have noticed quite a bit of exercise equipment available though for way cheaper than buying new. All you need then are a couple free weights (if you like) and of course your exercise ball and you have everything you’d find in a gym…practically.

Look for Used DVDs and VHS Exercise Videos

If you still have a VCR you can find a plethora of exercise videos for practically free at garage sales and eBay. You can find quite a few DVDs as well if you happened to have dumped your VCR in the last decade. Find videos that you’re actually interested in though, if you don’t like hip hop music, I’d stay away from exercise videos by rap stars or that take place in dance clubs. Not too many people are still interested in breakdancing anymore either, so I’d skip those videos as well…no matter how cheap they are.

Exercise With the Internet

Are you interested in yoga but not willing to pay for any classes? Many activities are available online so that you can not only watch and try it out, you can do stumble around in the comfort and privacy of your own living room. After all, who wants to try bending their bodies like that among a group of strangers? Just a google search came up with www.yogajournal.com which provides basically anything you’d need to know about yoga.

Believe it or not, you can also find a lot of exercise routines on Youtube and Hulu. This video is actually a no-exercise-equipment routine which is nice if you don’t actually have any exercise equipment.

Check Your Cable Package

As Jpkittie mentioned in the last post, you may already be paying for an exercise channel or two. Check your cable or satellite package. You may also be able to call and try out some of the channels before you make a decision to add them. Either way, it’s cheaper than the gym.

Above all, make sure you are safe. Obviously you don’t want to workout in crappy shoes so you may want to invest in a good pair of tennis shoes. When looking for used exercise equipment you should also make sure it isn’t broken and falling apart or dangerous to use.

Good luck, and I’ll let you know if I find my treadmill…

And since it’s winter and I’ve noticed my belly creeping slowly over my pants, I figure I better get back to getting into shape. Yes, if you know me you’re snickering, I am a wee bit of a lass but creeping bellies don’t look good on anyone and may even be worse on small people.

During one of my crazy get in shape phases I purchased an exercise ball at Walmart. If I remember correctly it cost me around $25.00 including the pump and has been durable enough to withstand begin kicked and dribbled by a group of small children. One of the main things I learned at the gym is that almost every exercise for almost every muscle of your body can be worked with an exercise ball.

Here are some examples of exercises to try with an exercise ball:

My Favorite Crunches: Okay, no one really has favorite crunches. We hate them, but these crunches don’t kill your neck and are so effective you can feel your abs tightening up immediately.

1. Position the ball near a wall.
2. Lean back onto the ball with your feet parked up to a wall and bent slightly.
3. With arms behind your neck or across your chest crunch up and down like regular situps.

I think these crunches are also more effective because you have to balance on the ball at the same time. It takes a second to get used to and you may fall off a couple times, but you’ll get the hang of it pretty quick. I was also told that it’s still okay to put your hands behind your neck or head as long as you aren’t pulling your neck or head up. You’ll feel it in your abs if you’re doing it right.

My Favorite Push Ups: Again, push ups aren’t a favorite anything, but I like these better than the standard ones.

1. Place the ball on a wall in front of your chest.
2. Put your hands on the ball and push back.
3. Go forward with your arms and repeat in the push up motion.

As with the sit ups, it’ll take a second to get used to balancing the ball on the wall. My first tries I thought I was going to slip and smash my face into the wall as the ball rolled away, but it didn’t ever end that tragically.

So for a one time cost of $25.00 you can easily work out your abs and arms. Some exercise balls also come with DVDs and their own workouts. Even with the health insurance bonus for attending a gym, the exercise ball is going to be cheaper.

My next post will cover other cheap ways to work out and get into shape, so stay tuned…and get working on those abs!