Forget the gym, you can get fit for free
Exercise doesn't need to be expensive, Katy Gosset learns in the latest episode of RNZ's Thrift podcast.
Gym memberships are pricey and boot camps will kick your budget to the kerb. What if we could get fit for free? RNZ podcast Thrift looks at ways to keep the kilos off without shedding dollars.
Kristina Wischnowsky is a Christchurch-based personal trainer who believes the means to get fit are all around us – and free.
But how much exercise a week do we need?
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“The American Medical Association recommend 150 minutes per week - 90 minutes of "huffy puffy” cardiovascular exercise and 60 minutes of resistance, she says.
For the cardio part, you need to be exercising to point where it's hard to have a conversation, she says.
However, the good news is that every little bit helps.
“If you're moving, it counts, you're winning,” says Wischnowsky.
She suggests taking advantage of reserves, council walks, Department of Conservation tracks and free events like park runs.
Once you're done with huffing and puffing, you need your 60 minutes of resistance training. If you can't access gym equipment, consider body weight resistance training such as yoga, Pilates and press-ups, says Wischnowsky. When you’ve finished, don’t forget to stretch.
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“That combination is perfect. You've hit the sweet spot,” says Wischnowsky.
Personal trainer Kristina Wischnowsky demonstrates using playground equipment for a free workout in Christchurch's Hagley Park.
RNZ / Nate McKinnon
She applies some creative thinking to where to work out, saying that there is free gym equipment everywhere.
Playgrounds are a way to have some quality time with the kids and also get some body weight training done - hanging from a climbing frame is a good all-over workout, she says.
You can find a lot of the weights you need around your own home, a sack of potatoes can be called into service, and even your kids.
“When my kids were young, I would use them, like bench pressing the children. So, children provide great weights as well,” Wischnowsky says.
The key is to get incidental movement - the little things that might not even feel like exercise - into our daily life as much as possible, she says.
“The research around increasing your metabolism is that it's the incidental movement that has a bigger impact on your metabolism, than the big movements.”
You can get your dose of Incidental movement by taking the stairs instead of the lift, taking a walking meeting, parking further away from your destination and carrying heavy shopping for longer distances.
Small routines around the house can also help, she says.
“I have clients standing on one leg when they're brushing their teeth or even brushing their teeth with the opposite hand.”
Don’t forget we tend to stick at what we enjoy, she says.
“I always tell people to do what brings them joy when they exercise and what they find is fun.”
Whatever exercise you choose, don't forget to stretch it out afterwards, says Christchurch personal trainer Kristina Wischnowsky.
Cole Keister / Unsplash
Thrifty exercise tips
A good fitness regime is 90 minutes of something that makes you huff and puff, 60 minutes of resistance exercise and then a stretch each week.
Seek out free facilities; parks, beaches, tracks and playgrounds.
Get into incidental movement. Walk upstairs, carry groceries, children.
Make sure you do something you'd like, and once it starts to work, you'll enjoy it even more.
