The Most Affordable Ways to Get a Great Workout
You may think the obvious answer to this is running, but if you are a serious runner, you know that the cost of your gear adds up.
You’ll be spending money on several pairs of good running shoes to support your feet, quality workout clothes that won’t ride up, and some good headphones that will stay in place and keep you entertained through the run.
While running doesn’t require a gym membership or class pass, it can actually end up being an expensive workout!
On the other hand, there are some types of exercises you can do on your own that require little to no investment, besides your time.
HIIT or Tabata Training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and tabata training are very similar, but the difference is in the timing. Both types of workouts involve intervals of high intensity exercise followed by a short recovery time.
Tabata training has a 2:1 ratio of work to recovery time. Typically you will perform an intense exercise for 20 seconds, followed by a 10 second rest. This is repeated 8 times for a total workout time of 4 minutes. The intervals of exercise are intense, making this 4-minute (or sometimes even longer) workout very effective.
The ratio for HIIT training can vary and the number of cycles varies as well. You can perform a 1:1 ratio of 20 seconds “on” (work) and 20 seconds “off” (recovery) or you can perform a 3:1 ratio of 30 seconds “on” and 10 seconds “off”. Do this for as many cycles as you want for a shorter or longer workout.
Both HIIT and tabata training doesn’t require any equipment. All you may need is a timer to count your intervals. There are tons of free apps you can use. I personally use Interval Timer that you can set before your workout starts to track your intervals.
Here is a great HIIT workout to try. You will do each exercise for 1 minute, with a 30 second rest in between. Try for 4 cycles, making it a 27-minute workout.
Bodyweight Training
We discussed why bodyweight training topped the most popular list of fitness trends for 2015, and here’s another reason why.
Bodyweight training utilizes just that, your bodyweight. No equipment is needed. These are some of the old-school exercises that we sometimes overlook, such as push-ups, squats, lunges, or planks.
The variations are endless to fit any fitness level. And, they work!
Here is an upper body workout you can do in the comfort of your home. Do 15-20 repetitions of each exercise. Repeat 3 times.
Featured photo by: istockphoto.com
