Many people out there believe that maintaining their bodies at an optimum health and fitness level comes with great financial costs as well. “I don’t have the money to go to the gym”, “I don’t have enough time to work out”, “I don’t have the physical condition to exercise” – these are among the most commonly encountered excuses people make when it comes to working out.

Still, none of them have any actual basis. 30 minutes every day is not that much (considering the health benefits and how you will feel by actually doing something for your body). Physical condition can be improved. As for the financial part, exercising should not necessarily be correlated with spending a lot of money. Of course, if you buy a gym membership that includes spa, massages and sauna, it is quite likely that your budget will be exceeded.

Yet, there are many, many ways in which you can exercise for free – and they will provide as many health benefits as working out at an expensive gym. Read on and find out more about this.

Jogging

This is not only one of the healthiest things you could ever do for your body – it is also the most inexpensive ones. You will need a good pair of running shoes (they don’t necessarily have to be especially made for running, but those tend to be more comfortable and to put less strain on your feet). Other than that, a pair of comfortable pants and a T-shirt will do. You can run wherever you want (around the park in your neighborhood for example) and if you have an MP3 player or a phone to play music, you can really make yourself feel more comfortable (and more entertained). Running is good for your muscles, for your bones, for your heart and for your mood and you can start with as low as 5 or 10 minutes of jogging every day and then gradually increase the speed and the amount of time you spend doing this.

Stretching

If you are not very “stretchy” and if you don’t want to hurt yourself, you may want to attend one or two classes (yoga or other stretching-based workouts). Also, you could purchase a DVD where everything is explained (and shown to you). You can stretch at home, in the park or wherever you feel comfortable and you will get many benefits out of this. While this is not the kind of workout to help with weight loss, it can definitely help your joints and your muscles, as well as your flexibility and balance – so it’s definitely worth giving a try.

Online Workouts

There are many places online where you can find entire routines put up for free by actual trainers out there. By following the exact steps and the exact instructions, there is little risk you will get injured. Remember to pick something suitable for your level of fitness and to never strain yourself too much. Also (and this is true in the case of any kind of workout routine out there – free or not, cardio or not), make sure to consult with your doctor first about making this step for your health. It’s always better to be safe than to be sorry!