Exercise Sans Electricity

If you consider the cost to power a treadmill and then cool the same space from your body heat, that's a lot of energy for nothing. Sure, the indoor gizmos have their place in the heat of summer and frostbite of winter, but to rely on them for everyday exercise is plain silly. You may as well be a gerbil in a tank.

Your gym membership may cost $30-50 per month, depending upon the options offered and where you live. Let's assume you average $40 for access to your workout facility. You'll spend $480 annually on membership alone. Tack on locker rentals, impulse smoothie buys, and, let's be honest, at least two months of inactivity and that's a load of dough. Just take a bacterial swab of the sweat infused plastic seats—who knows how many thousands of microbes and crusty foot beasties hitch a ride home with you.

Gym junkies at Adam Boesel's Green Microgym in Seattle actually use their own energy to power the equipment. It's an awesome veggie burger concept, but not available in my neck of the woods. I can imagine membership fees for that kind of place are prohibitive. Try an all-together different approach to exercise.

If you give yourself a pat on the back for a 45-minute beat down on the treadmill, I bring gloomy news. According to Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint, your exercise should reflect the natural movements of our hunter-gatherer ancestors—none of which require the high impact, repetitive motions most of us gravitate toward in gyms.

Light jogging, walking, quick bouts of sprints, and swimming as well as resistance training with bands scattered throughout the day are more effective than a slamming gym workout followed by a couch potato fest. Sustained high-heart rate routines cause serious joint damage over several years.

If you don't believe me just take a trip to New York City. Folks who live there incorporate vastly more movement in a day and it shows in their body fat percentages. The rate of obesity in The Big Apple is 22% while 30% of residents in Alabama are obese.

Incorporating exercise into your routine throughout the day is much easier than blocking out an hour-long power chunk anyway. If you enjoy prime time TV walk the stairs during every commercial. No stairs? Jump rope or jog in place. If you watch a one-hour drama followed by a 30-minute sitcom you can ascend and descend 75 flights while enjoying your shows.

Every time you use the restroom do 15 squats. Instead of working on a stationery office chair sit on a Pilates ball to improve your core stability. Squeeze your gluteal muscles together on the train to work. Do 10 push-ups every time you enter and exit the house. Always park at the farthest spot from the door and avoid the escalator or elevator—stairs will give you a good workout. Pick a variety of exercises that target various muscle groups and make them as much a daily routine as using the restroom. For maximum success, start with just three exercises and slowly add more.

When working out at home instead of a gym you'll have to find some resistance to add. Without extra weight on top of your body mass it is difficult to tone muscles. Old milk containers make great weights when filled with water, plus you can calculate the exact weight of different levels by measuring it on a scale and marking the increments with a permanent marker. Load up a backpack with books to use for arm exercises. Have an old paint bucket? Fill it with rocks and tie a rag around the handle for comfort.

Enjoy the great outdoors! One of the best ways to get better sleep is to spend least half an hour in sunlight each day. Once a week, make a trash walk—take a bag and gloves with you to collect litter (and even work in squats to pick each piece up). Pick two days a month to do squats while you pluck weeds to beautify your lawn and tone that tush. Avoiding the gym will take the stress off of hard workouts, consume less energy, and save nearly $500 a year. Keep your wallet fat while you slim down!

Caution: Always get checked out by a health professional first, especially if you aren't athletically inclined. Working out on your own requires a minimum level of coordination. Buying a few sessions from a personal trainer will save a ton in the long run and insure proper form.

More Resources

• Find more great exercises for home strength training sans weights at Body Results.
• Headed to the park? Get the skinny on how to make the most of those swings and slides at Discovery's Planet Green.