Join the Gym? No Thanks!

The month of January has the highest rate of gym membership subscriptions as people kick-start their New Year's resolution of getting fit/thinner/healthier with the best intentions. But... according to the stats, a large majority of those new memberships will be unused by the summer, so I decided not to join a gym this year and explore other, cheaper alternatives.

Katie and I are both big exercise fans (not exactly perfect examples of fitness but we try!) as seen frequently in our 'best things in life' and our blog posts on hot yoga, the Color Run and 'dance like Beyonce' class. Although we love to try new things, there are a few routines that we return to time and time again...

The Tracy Anderson Method

I have tried so many different at-home exercise regimes and although I have got some good results using some of them, nothing comes close to the Tracy Anderson method DVDs.

I first came across Tracy's unique exercise method after reading an article featuring her advocate (and now business partner) Gywneth Paltrow explaining how she transformed her body and actually enjoyed it. I think Gwyneth's body is amazing; healthy, curvy and toned so I bought Tracy's Mat Method straightaway!

Tracy's aim is to create a tight, toned dancers style body using the lesser-used accessory muscles to achieve results. Some of the exercises are very strange like standing with your arms out to your sides and rotating them in all different ways for a total of eight minutes - sounds easy but it's really not! In a way, her unique style keeps you motivated and interested, it's not all squats and traditional exercises which is great.

I now have six of her DVDs and aim to do one four times a week which is achievable for me and enough to see results especially with my arms and abs. It does take commitment and I can't quite keep up with her dance routine workouts but I'll keep trying!

Pilates

For the past three years now I've been going once a week to my local Pilates studio to work on the mat or, more recently, the strange looking reformer machine. This isn't as cost-effective as at-home DVDs but paying a little extra gets you personalised tuition, great results and the amazing feeling of real progress!

The teaching at the studio I go to, Equilibrium, is fantastic and more importantly fun. I look forward to my weekly lessons and really benefit from them; I feel my body has become leaner, longer and more flexible. There are some great Pilates DVDs to try, Lynne Robinson is one of the leading teachers, but having a professional in the room means each pose is done correctly and you get the most out of every minute.

Pilates compliments my other exercises nicely; it's the stretching part of my routine without the spiritual link of yoga. If anyone says Pilates looks easy get them to workout for an hour on a weighted reformer machine and ask them again! You don't necessarily get sweaty but you feel refreshed and toned afterwards.

Spinning

I went to a spinning class (fast cardio on stationary bikes) to try it out after reading about the calorie burning power in various fitness magazines and really enjoyed myself. My only problem is I'm not that keen on gyms for a number of reasons; the cost, being indoors and the boredom, so I couldn't justify joining a gym just to visit the spinning classes so... I created my own form of spinning for £50!

I bought some cycling training rollers from Halfords, dug out my old bike (it dates back to my teenage years!) and set it up in the garage. Now, whenever I need a calorie blast, I head into the garage and do a bit of HIT - high intensity training. It's not exactly scientific but I put on my iPod and pedal to the speed of whatever song comes on for about 20 minutes! I find Beyonce's album B-Day perfect for this (of course I do... it's Bey!) with her mix of medium and high tempo songs, plus singing along takes my mind off the sweat! Simple, cheap and sweaty!

Running

Putting on my trainers and heading for a run in the fresh air has to be my favourite exercise. It's also the hardest but gives me the best all-round results for body, mind and spirit. It's a big effort to go outside into the cold, windy rain some days but the feeling of achievement after is more than worth it.

I started running (jogging!) about two years ago and could only run 30 seconds but now I have completed a few 5Ks and half a marathon using the walk-run method. I used the fantastic podcast Couch to 5K to get me started and would encourage a similar download. I aim to run three times a week for a minimum of two miles each time which is just enough for me!

Although it's tough, I really feel like I have completed a decent workout and spending time in nature while working out is always a bonus for me!

I hope this post has been useful to see you don't always need a gym membership or to spend tonnes of money to get fit as long as you have the motivation and find an exercise you really enjoy.

Have fun! 

Jane x

Our Fitness Must-Haves...

• Tracy Anderson Mat Workout - the best toning exercise DVD out there!
• A comfortable yoga mat - great for pilates at home or in the studio and for those post-run stretches
• Music - especially Beyonce and Example!
• Trainers - choose good quality, supportive trainers that you love putting on... the brighter the better!