How to Stay Fit On a Budget in California

HOW TO STAY FIT ON A BUDGET IN CALIFRONIA

I think we can all agree that California is home to some of the fittest people on earth.  Especially during summer time I am constantly reminded of how great in shape many Southern California residents are.  Strutting their stuff on beach boardwalks all around the regions constantly inspires and motivates me to live healthier in regards to my nutrition and fitness.

By no means am I intending to become the female version of a young Arnold Schwarzenegger during his Mr. Universe days, but I am striving to become leaner and healthier all around.  While there is definitely no shortage of exercise possibilities thanks to hundreds and hundreds of gyms, Yoga Studios, Cycle Bars etc., it can get costly as some memberships have high fees.

Luckily, there are some great alternatives that won’t break the bank.  I personally had to cut back financially at the beginning of the year and cancelled my gym membership.  That didn’t stop me though from exercising as I was able to find alternatives that were more affordable.  Most of them are actually free.  Yes, FREE! So today I’d like to share with you how it is possible for me to get in shape on a budget.

1) YouTube.  Let’s be honest, YouTube is one of the greatest resources of the 21^st century.  You can find videos about every topic imaginable, and it is completely free.  I personally do a lot of Yoga, Barre, and Bootcamp style classes through this platform.

2) Fitness related communities. I have been a member of Tone It Up for many years, which is a brand founded by two women who put a lot of emphasis on creating a women focused fitness community.  They also provide free fitness and lifestyle videos on YouTube.

They used to host free fitness meet ups as well, but due to the significant growth of their brand, they are unfortunately unable to do so anymore.   However, I am a part of their sub communities TIU OC and TIU LA, where members of the community meet up for hikes, workouts on the beach etc. and preach what the Tone It Up lifestyle is about.

I also recently discovered another local fitness community called OC Fitbabes (now changed to Fit Babe Lifestyle, as the founder has moved to San Diego).  The concept of this community is to host meet ups at various fitness related studios around Orange County (mainly in the Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Costa Mesa areas, and also all free of charge).

The founder also hosts a monthly Bootcamp classes on the beach in Laguna.  The workout consists of a half hour of Bootcamp and a half hour of Yoga, and you can definitely feel the work you have done afterwards.

These two examples are unfortunately only open to women.  But they are great for meeting like minded people and making friends.

3) Apps.  There are a ton of fitness apps to choose from.  Trainers like Jillian Michaels or Kayla Itsines offer apps where you can get your sweat on.  They usually come with a monthly fee, but it is still cheaper than purchasing a gym membership.

4) Meet Up.  The Meet Up website is also a great resource to find groups for your personal fitness interests.  They have groups for literally any sport you can imagine, from tennis over beach volleyball to Yoga, and most of them are free.

5) Groupon.  Last, but certainly not least, is Groupon.  Groupon is an amazing resource as well to find fitness related classes you can purchase for a discounted rate.  To me, Groupon is great when I want to try out a new studio or a new form of fitness I haven’t done before.  I am currently looking into reformer Pilates classes.

I could go on and on about this topic since I am personally very passionate about it and consider fitness one of my biggest hobbies.  It also is a great stress reliever for me and has kind of a therapeutic effect on me.  Thanks to the above mentioned suggestions, not just my body but also my bank account are feeling much healthier these days.

Image: Anne-Kathrin Schulte

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 Anne-Kathrin Schulte is a contributor for CaliforniaGermans.com. She writes about her personal experience of the American Dream as well as about working as an au pair in CA. She was born and grew up in Düsseldorf, Germany, where she completed her degree as a state-approved Kindergarten teacher. After her au pair engagement in the US and a quick return to Germany, she decided to attend university in California and moved back to the United States. She has been living in Southern California since 2011.

If you would like to contact Anne-Kathrin, please send an email to californiagermans(at)gmail.com and place her name in the subject line.

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