Probably my biggest tip for being fabulous on the cheap is
how I work out. I do hours of different work out every day, at zero cost.
I want to first clarify that I wasn’t always into fitness.
In fact, just a year ago if you asked me if I liked exercise, I would have
laughed my butt off. I hated it! My go-to method of weight loss and having a
decent body was starvation or purging. Not the healthiest weight management
plan. But I finally kicked both those habits and found myself putting on the
pounds.
I was still technically
a healthy size, but I wasn’t happy in myself. On top of that, I was also experiencing
a lot of stomach problems. I decided in September of 2016 to make a change. I
was going to commit to exercising and eating the right foods, and I was going
to stick with it.
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| My Youtube abs (not a 6-pack but good) |
I started off by doing a two-week gluten free cleanse to see
if that helped with the stomach issues I was experiencing (it didn’t). And I
set myself the goal of working out every other day, or at least three times a
week.
I had no clue how to exercise. I had no cardio stamina,
couldn’t lift puny weights, and basically was really unfit. I was still only
working my part-time job at a daycare/nursery, and my partner had just lost
their stipend for their PhD. Money was extremely tight.
What many people would do in this situation is join a gym,
take some fitness classes and possibly get a personal trainer to get them on
the right track. But I couldn’t afford a gym membership! The cheapest gym I
found cost about $18 or £16.99 a month. That was roughly the cost of my cell
phone bill. I had to ask myself, which did I NEED, a cell or gym? Obviously, my
choice was my cell phone. I also didn’t relish the idea of working out in front of a
bunch of strangers.
Where did that leave me? I was someone who had no experience
in exercise, and couldn’t afford a gym. People who are gym shy like me might
join an online accountability/exercise program like Beach Body, The Fit Body
Guides, or Bikini Body Guides. But those can cost more than a gym membership,
which doesn’t help me in my #doitcheap lifestyle.
So, I found a #doitcheap way. I started
off by looking at pins on Pinterest that had workouts sheets. I then discovered two
things. I didn’t know a lot of the moves and it was hard to pause mid workout
to check what I was supposed to do next. For the first problem, I went to
Youtube.
And that is when I had my stroke of genius. Youtube is for
more than just funny video’s of cats! Youtube has thousands upon thousands of
workout videos and demonstrations. I didn’t need to plan anything, I simply had to sign in to
Youtube, and google the workout I wanted for the day.
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| I built this butt off of Youtube! |
I started off with doing 20 minutes weight loss yoga
video’s. After a few week’s I noticed my stamina and strength were up, so I
switched to more cardio intensive video’s. Gradually I built up to 30-45 minutes
workouts, 5-6 times a week. On a Monday, I might do a strength training video
(you can make weights), the next day yoga, and the next day a fitness class
that involves barre and dance!
I’ve been following my Youtube fitness regime for about nine
months now. My stamina is better, I can visibly see my leg and ab muscles.
I can squat like a pro. And my butt has doubled in size! Colleagues ask me if I
am wearing butt pads (no joke). It has also helped me cope with my depression
and simply by exercising, I find that I lean towards healthier food choices.
So, if you want to exercise a bit more, but don’t want to or
can’t afford the gym or online programs, then do Youtube! It is a true
#doitcheap way of life. I’m going to start reviewing Youtube exercise video’s
for you here, and you can choose to do them after my review or not. I’ll
include some images from my workout, the link to the video, the good and bad
parts, hardest moods, and overall give you details about it.
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