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Barriers to fitness: Overcoming common challenges

8. I can't afford health club fees

You don't need a gym membership to get a great workout. Consider commonsense alternatives.

  • Do strengthening exercises at home. Use inexpensive resistance bands — lengths of elastic tubing that come in varying strengths — in place of weights. Do pushups or squats using your body weight.
  • Start a walking group. Round up friends, neighbors or co-workers for regular group walks. Plan routes through your neighborhood or near your workplace, along local parks and trails, or in a nearby shopping mall.
  • Take the stairs. Skip the elevator when you can. Better yet, make climbing stairs a workout in itself.
  • Try your community center. Exercise classes offered through a local recreation department or community education group might fit your budget better than an annual gym membership.

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