These days, most everyone is short on resources – time, money, or both. Unfortunately, many people allow this to impact their exercise plans. Late night infomercials and gym ads have us believing we must join expensive clubs or purchase costly equipment to get the fitness results we desire. And because it takes time to get in shape, our hectic schedules persuade us to give up before we even start.

As convincing as these reasons seem, they simply aren’t true. There are easy fitness fixes for even the most limited of resources, whether you’re budgeting your time or your money.

If you’re on a time budget:

• Keep walking shoes in your car and utilize your spare time. Walk during your lunch break, if you arrive early at the dentist, or anytime you have a few spare minutes that would otherwise be spent sitting around.
• Forget shortcuts, like taking the elevator or escalator, or parking close to your destination. Walking those distances takes only a few seconds longer, but over time, the extra calorie burn will add up.
• Learn to multitask. Keep resistance bands at work and do squats and strength moves during a conference call. Use an exercise ball instead of the couch and do core work while watching TV.
• Make fitness a family affair. Take your spouse dancing to combine date night and exercise, or coach your kid’s soccer team for a workout with memories.

If you’re on a money budget:

• Get a jump rope. This cheap tool provides instant, do-anywhere, effective cardio workouts.
• Skip the gym and go outside. From walking to jogging to hiking and much more, the outdoors provides a plethora of fitness opportunities, and most only require a pair of well-fitting shoes.
• Join a sports league at your church or start one in your neighborhood. Most are free or have only a small fee, and they’re a fun way to exercise with people in your community.
• Go crazy for calisthenics. You don’t need an expensive weight set to strength train. Exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, and planks use your body weight and gravity as resistance and can be modified to fit individual fitness levels.

When it comes to getting fit, forget the fancy equipment and huge chunks of time. All you really need is the desire and a little creativity. Keep moving, my friends!

- Alan