On Getting Fit On A Budget

Ever since having my second child I have said I wanted to lose weight and get fitter. He is almost 7 and I have done nothing about it. I have never had strong will power and I don't like sport. This causes an even bigger problem when my favourite foods are chocolate and sweets.

So how could I get fit?
"Go jogging" someone bravely told me. I can't even run for the bus without being out of breath and a wreck until I reach my destination.
"Try a fitness DVD" came another helpful suggestion. My shelves are now overflowing with DVD's that I tried once or twice, some even lasted a whole week before that were relegated to the shelf. Now they just give the dust mites some exercise.
"Come to Zumba with me" another helpful friend suggested. An hour of intense dance and fitness in front of people who know what they are doing and can run for a bus could be the most demotivating thing I could do.
"Get a personal trainer" said a Mum at the boys' swimming class. She happens to be a personal trainer so no ulterior motive there then. Humouring her I asked how much it would cost me. Having paid the non-member rates for the sports club, it would cost me £9 each time I went to the gym there - plus the £35 initial consultation fee with her, then £35 per hour session with her (at least once a week, if not more of course) and then a review session every so often. By now my eye's are seeing £ signs as, I assume, are hers. Where exactly does this money come from to line someone else's pockets for them to watch me sweat and make a fool of myself with weights and a rowing machine?
"Come to weightwatchers with me?" Hmmm. Sounds good until you pay a registration fee, weekly attendance fee at the sessions - and what do you get for this? Someone who can weigh you on the scales and humiliate you in front of everyone else when you have a bad week, a diet sheet and lots of highly motivated people giving you "encouragement". If I wanted humiliation I could go jogging for free.

My bike has been sitting in the garage for nearly 20 years. I got it out last weekend. The tyre's needed pumping up. The tyre's that still have the original manufaturers moulding marks on them because it has been used so much. I even sat on it and rode it round the garden. Is it still functional? How numb does my bum get whilst on it? It seemed ok. Then I thought about where I could ride it. On the roads? Probably not as I wobble too much and have no confidence. On the pavements? Not supposed to do this apparently. Then I thought about the road I live on and the hill that I would have to ride up to get anywhere. Not a pleasant thought. The bike is back in the garage again.

I don't work and so have no income to allocate to such pastimes. All my hobbies involve voluntary work or study. None pay money or provide exercise in anyway. So how can you get fit without spending a fortune on gym fees, weightloss programmes, personal trainers or sports club costs?


I managed to lose weight once before. It was about 13 years ago. I had just started a new job. I was out to impress someone and decided to do a sponsored slim in aid of Cancer Research. I did lose over a stone in a few months. Maybe I need some form of incentive to overcome the psychological and physical barriers in my way. I watched some of the London Marathon last weekend. 35,000 people all running 26 miles. I am in awe of all of them. The dedication to their training, the will power and motivation they must have astound me.


SLEEPY