Exercising When It Is 110 Degrees Outside

Our treadmill has been getting a workout by both myself and hubby this summer.  It's been over 100 degrees outside for I don't know how many weeks and so the only options for walking are #1, walking outside at 5am before it gets too hot, #2, walking through the huge air conditioned casinos here (but there are a lot of tourists which makes walking at a good pace difficult), or #3, investing in a treadmill.  Many people here have treadmills or other exercise equipment basically because of the weather.  Overall it was a good investment; we bought a cheap, used one when we first moved here and that one got lots of use so we bought this slightly better one because the old one was wearing out and I am happy to report that it has definitely been worth the money we spent on it!

Yeah It's Fall!

Fall is finally here in Las Vegas which probably doesn't mean much to most people (the temps here are in the mid 90s compared to the 110s...it really does make a difference though!).  This means that we no longer need to hibernate inside the air conditioned house all day and our activities tend to really pick up.  Here's what we are doing:

• Hubby has joined not one but three bowling leagues.  This is convenient because it is right after bingo and right next door to the bingo hall.  Fortunately the fees are pretty cheap ($7 to $10 for each league which is super cheap compared to what he used to pay in Seattle).
• Hiking is starting.  We will do our first group hike of the season tomorrow.  These are free and we only need to drive to the trail head to meet the group and the guide.
• I want to roller skate at least once a week with the seniors (I'd like to do this twice a week but it is so far away).
• I also want to do more technical hiking with another group (which means hubby won't go because he only walks a few miles at a time; we will have to figure out how to do this with only one car).
• Every other Saturday I will walk with the volksmarchers which is fun and cheap ($3 for each walk so I can get credit towards the mileage I do).

Other than that, I really miss the Pacific Northwest in the fall (and even New England for that matter).  Fall is my favorite season because the air gets a little chilly and because the trees are all changing colors and the harvest is wrapping up--none of which happens in Las Vegas.  But I will enjoy getting out in nature more even if nature consists of rocks and sand and more rocks :)

Walking...And Other Things

Who knew that walking and hiking could be so much fun in January?  The hubby and I enjoyed our hike last week (even though it was freezing because of an unexpected low...it's much warmer today) so we signed up for another free hike next Monday.  I was able to find a great deal on some comfy walking shoes (see photo above, they are from Marshalls and were on clearance for $22!), and now I am in the middle of putting together hiking bags for us (I'll display the contents in a future post).  I also got my annual membership to the volksmarchers in the mail ($10 for a year, walks are $3 each if you want credit otherwise you can just walk for free) and my goal is to walk 500k with that group this year (helped along greatly when we go to Victoria, BC in April so I can walk a marathon with the BC volksmarchers).
Other things I did this week:

• Got free tickets for another comedy show through FillASeat which we will watch tomorrow.
• Joined the local genealogical society so I can learn more about what is fast becoming one of my favorite hobbies (our first meeting of the year is this Saturday).
• Signed up to be in the audience of the Jeff Probst show (I love that show!) which will be either the last week of January or the first week of February.
• Will be making reservations tomorrow for our stay at the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas since the $50 voucher for dinner that the hubby won just came in my email box this morning.

I should probably find a part time job or something but I am so busy I don't know when I would have time to squeeze it in!

Some Free Exercise...and Some Links

Last night was the first time we have gone dancing in ages.  During all of my 20s and most of my 30s we were in nightclubs nearly every day of the week (then our friends closed their club and we got a bit lazy and stopped going dancing all together unless we were on a cruise ship).
So last night I got dressed up (I used to look much better in a mini skirt than I do now...eeekkk), put on those shoes you see above (big mistake...I was practically crippled by the time we got finished), and we danced for about four hours at a local casino nightclub that featured a live band and lots of ballroom dancing (it's an Asian place and everyone ballroom dances...to every song so matter if it is a boogie, cha cha, or a hip hop song!).  It was fun and best of all, it was free.  There was no cover charge and we don't drink so basically we walked in and stayed on the dance floor for an hour then when the band went on break we walked around the casino until they began to play again.
Overall, dancing is excellent exercise and it is fun as well (next week we are going to invite our cousins to come along).  There were lots of people there in their 60s, 70s, and 80s and all looked slim and healthy so maybe they are on to something (it was a bit disconcerting, however, to see 70 year old women with their faces full of glitter makeup though...) and I highly recommend dancing if you want to get some good--free--exercise.
And now some interesting links...

• 25 Simple Ways to Save An Extra $1000
• 10 Frugal Living Tips for Happiness on a Tight Budget
• 7 Unexpected Costs of Summer

Exercising...For Free

Today was day three of my resolution to exercise at least two hours every day. I mean, I am not working and have nothing else to do so I have absolutely no excuse not to make time in my un-busy schedule to do this. Here's how my exercise program has been working out so far:

• Day 1--walked three miles on our old treadmill which we have owned for ages. I then followed along with an hour long yoga class that is offered on TV through our cable company which was also free. Hubby gave me an hour long deep tissue massage on this day too which was awesome (and free!). I also did 20 push ups and 20 sit ups (free...just need floor space) and 5x10 reps with 3 pound hand weights which I have had for ages (also free but if I didn't own these I probably would have used heavy cans of food from the pantry).
• Day 2--felt HIDEOUS. I think it was from overexercising my way-out-of-shape body plus the screeching halt to sugar, wheat, other grains, chocolate, Frapuccinos, and other unhealthy food as of December 31st. With all of the exercise and the massage I think all of the toxins in my body were screaming and running for cover causing me to feel like I had been run over by a truck. Ick. I couldn't, however, give up my goal on the second day, that would be really wimpy, so I took an aspirin...or five...and exercised anyway. I walked three miles on the treadmill, 5x10 hand weights, 20 push ups, 20 sit ups, and followed along with another exercise show on TV, this time it was dancing. I'm so out of shape it is pitiful and I am so disappointed with myself because I let myself get this way. Remembering way (WAY!) back, I used to be able to work out for three or four hours at a time sometimes twice a day and could control every muscle in my body, now my muscles are screaming for mercy because they probably haven't been used for...oh...30 years. Yikes.
• Day 3--felt better but my muscles are still telling me that I am totally out of shape. I walked three miles this morning at the mall (I love mall walking!) which was free. In the afternoon I came home and did 20 push ups, 20 sit ups, 5x10 hand weights, and then followed along with two 30-minute kickboxing exercise shows. Hubby watched for a while laughing hilariously so you can count this as free entertainment for the family as well!

To date, all of my exercising has been free. Even if you don't have cable TV that offers free follow along exercise classes, you can always get free exercise DVDs from the library or find them online too. Here's some other free/cheap exercise options:

• Swimming (some days at our local pool swimming is $1 for the session and occasionally they have free days).
• Walking stairs either at a tall building in the city or at the stadium at our local high school is free.
• Jumping rope. We have plenty of rope in the garage.
• Walking outside (I prefer this to walking inside but it has been too icy lately to do this).
• Ice skating (one day a week out local ice rink offers "rent skates" and skate for free day).
• Roller skating (our local roller rink charges only $1 to skate on Wednesdays, however the big, fast teenagers scare me when I am skating so I usually opt to pay more and skate with the seniors on Saturday mornings--they are fast but not insane unlike the teens).
• Bowling (some of the local bowling alleys offer $1 per game, however this is usually during the summer).
• I sold my bike at our last garage sale but if I still had it, I would definitely go for a ride.
• We have access to our local military bases which offers a range of free gym services--basketball, racquetball, weights, treadclimber, tennis, stationary bike, yoga classes, kickboxing classes, etc.
• If you have the equipment (or buy it at the local thrift store or Walmart) you can borrow a community/school facility and play basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, etc.
• Playgrounds are free so even if you are a few decades older than everyone else playing there, you can still play on the playground equipment (it helps to borrow a kid and do this so you don't look so odd!).
• On Saturdays I like to Volksmarch with our local group--they are awesome!

The bottom line is that you don't need to spend a cent to exercise. Walking is free, calisthenics are free, exercise shows on TV or video are free. There's no excuse! Get out there and get healthy!

Bag the Gym Membership and Exercise for Free

I know people who are still paying for a monthly membership to use the local gym, some actually use their memberships but most don't after the first rush of "I'm gonna get in shape-itis". Anyway, with the economy in the toilet and people having less and less money to spare on something they may not even use, consider these free ways you can exercise and get in shape without all of the expense:

• Mall walking. Simply go to your local mall and walk! It's easy, it's free, it's indoors and out of the weather. Best of all, many malls have actual mall walking clubs, lots of great people to walk with, and some even open extra early so you can walk before the mall stores open and shoppers arrive.
• TV exercise classes. One of my favorite yoga classes actually comes to me via the television each morning. There are also quite a few morning exercise classes on TV that you can follow along with and with cable/streaming video/free exercise videos from the library, you can actually exercise any time you want.
• Weight lifting...with groceries. Yes you can go out and buy a whole collection of hand weights or you can wander over to the pantry and start lifting cans of veggies, jugs of milk, or any other item that is a bit weighty and fits your hands.
• Play outside, either by yourself of with your kids. When you are a kid, you can think of all kinds of things to do outside--kick a ball down the street, play hide and seek, hang on the monkey bars at the playground--basically everything looks fun when you are a kid. If you adopt the same attitude now, you will find all kinds of things to do outside that will give you some exercise and will actually be a lot of fun.
• Borrow fitness facilities. Does your local high school have a great track or a nice set of outdoor bleachers to run? Is there a nature trail near by? Are there community tennis courts nearby? Is there a lake where you can swim? There are usually quite a few community-developed places that anyone can use to exercise. Obviously you will want to use school facilities on weekends when the school is closed and public tennis or basketball courts assume that you have the equipment (tennis rackets, basketball) to use them.
• Volunteer. One way that many people get to exercise for free is by volunteering at the place where they want to exercise. Years ago I volunteered at a dance studio and ended up getting my dance classes for free. Some people volunteer at the Y and in return get free passes to use the Y facilities.
• Participate in community groups. Cultural dance groups, meet up groups, hiking groups, bicycling clubs...many communities have groups of people who share the same interest in various types of exercise activities so why not join one?
• Some more difficult stuff. Parkour is a cool sport which requires nothing else but your bravery and what ever obstacles are naturally in your way. You can also find the tallest building in your city and climb the steps to the top, scramble up mountain trails, or even participate in a fight club (something I highly recommend NOT to do).

The bottom line is that you don't need to spend a lot of money or obligate yourself to expensive plans in order to exercise and get fit. With a little creativity and just by getting out and actually doing stuff, you can enjoy a wide range of free exercise activities.