Gym-free workout: Serious, affordable exercise is as close as your yard or living room

Julie Whitehead uses a hula hoop in her Brainerd yard to get a good workout.
Julie Whitehead uses a hula hoop in her Brainerd yard to get a good workout.

You don't have to head to a professional gym for a challenging workout.

While there are definite benefits to working out in a well-equipped gym, some folks don't have time to squeeze in a daily workout; others simply can't afford the cost of a membership. But neither mean you must forego exercising.

Whether it's in your own home, your neighborhood or when traveling, staying in shape has never been easier, and it doesn't have to be costly. Running, yoga, jumping rope, even a hula hoop are excellent forms of exercise and can be done with ease and little financial investment.

Local artist Julie Whitehead invested a total of $25 in her exercise equipment -- a hula hoop. She "hoops" at least five days a week on her own fluctuating schedule, and says it's an exercise that not only can she afford, but is one she also enjoys.

"I hoop anywhere from 30 minutes a day up to three hours," she says. "It depends on my work schedule. The longer sessions occur when I am at a hoop group or hooping with friends."

photo Equipment-free beginner exercises to do at home.

For beginners

Equipment-free beginner exercises to do at home: * Push-ups * Bodyweight squats * Plank holds * Knee highs * Jumping jacks * Sit-ups * Lunges * Inchworm Source: Adrian Mastin, personal trainer

Model/journalist Lorean Mays, 31, must stay in shape for photo shoots. But as the single mother of a young son, she doesn't always have the freedom to work out in a gym.

"I have a trainer that I work out with, but a lot of times I do work out at home when I am on the go," she says. "My at-home workouts don't consist of any equipment and I have a pair of five- and 10-pound weights plus a kettlebell."

The benefits of working out at home also include no monthly gym fees, minimal equipment, wearing whatever you want and privacy.

"Try new moves, blare the music, sing out loud, grunt or scream," notes the website active.com. "No need to be embarrassed. You are in the privacy of your own home, so just do it."

Like Mays, Natalie Henson, 34, of Chattanooga, is a busy, working mom with zero time to head to the gym. But she finds time six days a week to do a 20-minute, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout with a video blog called "Beach Body Mommy."

"All I need is my phone or iPad and 10-pound dumbbells," says Henson. "Each day is HIIT, alternating moves and, as you go, the workouts become more challenging to keep up with your changing body."

Because of her active lifestyle, she may skip workouts every now and then, but she'll make them up in the next day or two. And, because the workout is a blog, Henson can tune in from most anywhere.

"I like that there's no pressure and I'm not doing this in front of or for anyone else. It gives me the energy to get through whatever the day has for me. I wear many hats -- mother, wife, Realtor, swim coach -- and I need the extra boost that this gives me."

For runners, the No. 1 necessity for exercising is a pair of good running shoes. And, like a hula hoop or weights, they're portable. People including Nisey Johnson of Soddy-Daisy, Deborah Anziano of Cleveland, Tenn., Christie Sell of Chattanooga, and Shawn Johnson of Signal Mountain pack their running shoes when traveling. But they also take along other items for exercise.

"I always take running shoes, a portable pull-up bar, jump rope and a kettlebell, and I always stay somewhere that has a gym, even if it's a small one," says Johnson, 43, criminal justice public safety coordinator for Hamilton County.

photo Julie Whitehead demonstrates her hooping skills near her Brainerd yard.

"I've been doing CrossFit (a fitness regimen) for over three years. I work out every day, even on vacation," he says, adding that most of his workouts are less than 30 minutes.

Personal trainers also make it convenient for people who want to work out at home or on the go -- and they don't even have to be in the room with you.

Adrian Mastin, a former basketball player at Red Bank High School and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, is now a personal trainer in Atlanta. Mastin works with some of his clients via Skype.

"With today's technology, you are able to workout over FaceTime from your iPhone or iPad," he says. "I've done this with a number of clients on business trips and also with my sister, who lives in Durham, N.C.

"It's good to have a personal trainer because they are there to keep you accountable and motivated," says Mastin, 31. "Everybody has different body types and fitness levels, so they are there to customize your own fitness and nutrition plans. They are there to motivate you so that you maximize your results."

And he insists that it's absolutely possible to stay in shape without investing in costly workout equipment.

"A lot people don't realize that your own body weight can be effective in a lot of ways," he says. "Body-weight exercises can be great for someone who doesn't have a gym membership or for that individual who works and travels all the time but just can't find the time to get to a gym."

Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.

photo Local artist Julie Whitehead invested a total of $25 in her exercise equipment — a hula hoop. She "hoops" at least five days a week on her own fluctuating schedule.

Upcoming Events