Kiss your gym goodbye
By Maya Saibil • Bankrate.com

Being motivated to exercise regularly is enough of a challenge without the cost of getting in shape becoming an extra hurdle. It's easy to turn working out into an expensive habit -- gym memberships typically start at about $50 a month -- but keeping fit doesn't have to be pricey.

Here's the inside scoop on how to work out your body without spending an arm and a leg.

Exercise can save you money
Exercising as a mode of transportation is not only cheap, but it can actually save you money. Susan Csiszar, of Burnaby, B.C., bikes to and from school almost every day, and she tries to go most other places by bike or on foot. She sometimes even bikes places in just one direction to save the transportation fare, and takes her bike on public transit for the trip home.

"My original reason for biking was to save money on transportation," she says. "I then realized that it was also excellent exercise, and now I bike for both reasons."

Biking to work or school can be a convenient option, but Csiszar warns it's only practical if you live reasonably close. Why? Because it's easy to break a sweat while biking, and it's hard to make (and keep) friends while sweaty.

Of course, if you work somewhere where you can shower, it's a different story. Csiszar lives uphill from downtown -- where most of her destinations are -- so most of her rides are downhill or flat. So, she only gets sweaty on her way home, where she can, of course, shower.

Aside from walking or biking, another good exercise and cost-friendly transportation method is in-line-skating. All you need are the skates, which you can often buy second hand, and a helmet.

Running: in a class of its own
Running is probably the cheapest way to stay in shape. Nadine Blumer, a native Montrealer now working on her PhD in Toronto, started running two years ago. She doesn't run as a primary means of transportation, but she finds that she is especially good at running to get somewhere if she is late.

"I'm so much better at running to catch a bus now, than I was in high school," she says. Blumer says her only costs are about $150 for a pair of running shoes about every nine months, plus cash for good socks.

Blumer enjoys running because it's a great way to explore a city. She typically runs for 70 to 100 minutes at a time and says she often runs to places that she would otherwise not go on foot. "When you're whizzing by a place in a car or on a bike, you're not at a pace like you are when running, where you can appreciate the stuff around you," she says.

Csiszar has been a devoted runner for about 10 years. She started running in high school to control her weight. Part of the reason she likes running is because it's inexpensive. "I don't need to pay an organization to provide a team or referee -- all the equipment I need is a good pair of shoes, and I don't need to pay for a special court or gym to do it," she says.

No equipment required
You don't need to go to a gym to have a good workout. Working out at home has a lot of advantages, including the fact that you dodge exorbitant gym membership fees. Plus, you get to choose the music.

Vanessa Harrar, a former Can-Fit-Pro certified fitness instructor, says there are plenty of exercises you can do sans expensive gym equipment, where you use your own body weight as resistance. Some popular examples: calf-raises, push-ups, crunches, squats, lunges and even chin-ups if you have a beam or bar somewhere in your house.

"When exercises get easier, you can try doing things slower, so that you are really working the muscle," explains Harrar. "For example, try holding for 10 seconds up and 10 seconds down for crunches and push-ups. The more you focus on what you're doing, the harder you'll work the muscles you're exercising."

For those just starting to lift weights, Harrar says people's shoulders are generally fairly weak. "So, lifting cans of soup is a good place to start," she says.

Cheap equipment
There are some pieces of equipment you can purchase that won't cost much but will greatly enhance your home workout, such as one of those big exercise balls, a jump rope and thick elastic bands meant mostly for resistance training.

Other items to consider buying, renting, or borrowing are exercise videos (from your library or friends), which lead classes in yoga, step or some other kind of routine. Depending on which TV stations you have, you may even be able to find shows of this sort in your local listings.

Buying the more expensive pieces of equipment to set up a home gym may also be well worth the investment. Check out the prices of the items you would benefit from most -- such as free weights, a punching bag, a treadmill or one of those six-workout-attachment structures -- and if you compare the items to the cost of a gym membership, you will likely see that these items will pay for themselves sooner than you think. And you won't have to wait in line to use the equipment! Check out local sporting goods stores for a deal on second-hand equipment.

Join a team
You usually have to pay to participate in organized team sports, and some sports, like hockey, often cost more than others to play, but most communities have a range of affordable opportunities. Check out options through your school, your place of work or your community centre. Look for activities that require little equipment or no special venues (such as ice rinks) to keep your costs down.

For example, Csiszar plays intramural soccer at her university. "We pay to use the service of the university athletic centre through mandatory student fees," she says, "so if you think of it as being part of tuition, it is free. The only cost is some equipment -- a pair of shin guards and cleats. But these can be very inexpensive and are one-time purchases."

For other cheap or free exercise options, check out the services offered in your neighbourhood at community centres or public pools.

Maya Saibil is a writer in Toronto.