Hello friends!

Is it just me or have fitness memberships become astronomically expensive? I truly believe good health should be attainable for anyone regardless of income.

I’m no longer a gym rat after being one for half of my adult life, and I rarely miss the atmosphere or all the mirrors, although I do enjoy group classes and attend a variety of them if my budget allows.

Don’t get me wrong, teaching fitness classes myself, I found the empowering environment very rewarding, but it left me stagnant and longing for the freedom to just get it done.

I’ve fallen in love with hot yoga but, again, at $1,000 a year the cost is out of reach for many — including me.

I am currently circling our city taking advantage of any deals I can find to see which ones I like the best. I’m enjoying the newest edition to town, Oxygen Yoga and Fitness, where your body warms from the inside out with infrared heat. Mine loves it!

That being said, there are endless no-gym-required workouts. Besides getting outside on a regular basis, body weight exercises are hands down the best way to tap into your own personal level of fitness.

We carry ourselves everywhere, standing, sitting, and squatting without realizing the benefits of just channeling those everyday movements into an actual workout. It can be fun and simple.

Listen to your body. If it hurts — and pain is subjective — don’t do it. However, don’t cave to a little discomfort as your muscles start to burn a bit with lactic acid.

If you have stairs in your house, use them often. Use the upstairs bathroom and take them two at a time. Sit in a chair, let your butt almost get comfy and stand up again, being mindful of your footing and placement. When those get easy, pop back up on only one leg and alternate.

The kitchen counter is a great place to do some push-ups. Level one  — and please stop calling them girly push-ups — would be off the counter or a wall. Level two: on the floor from your knees. Level three: toes up, plank position. Level four: plank with ankles crossed, etc.

It’s really quite endless what can be done. In my humble opinion, push-ups, burpees, squats and planking are the four most effective moves you can master.  Here’s a quick workout you can do anywhere, anytime.

Aim for ten to 15 repetitions, performing three to five sets of each. Do more if you can, less if absolutely necessary. Keep your torso tight the entire time. You know your limitations, but try to push past them without injury and trust the process.

Let’s get started:

• One set sitting in chair and standing up (warm those joints up a bit).
• One set of wall push-ups.
• One set step-back burpees (plank position, set one foot as close to your hands then the other and stand up).
• One set of planking (start with 10 seconds and hold longer as 10 becomes easy, keeping your torso as tight as possible, bellybutton to spine).
• Tip: Your body weight is yours, lifting it can be easy for some and a struggle for others — that’s OK. Strength comes in time. Adjust this routine to your level. Go hard if you want. No judgments or self trash-talk allowed!
• Chair squats (light graze/stand up both legs or challenge yourself with one).
• Push-ups (mix it up, wide arms/tight elbows/hands under chest).
• Burpees (one set of 10 to 25 step-backs or full chest-to-floor then jump up).
• Planking (from knees/on toes/forearms or high, 10-second holds (or more) working up to one minute).

Try doing one set of each without rest and repeat until you’re proud of yourself! It’s basic stuff but, trust me, this is the foundation you need to build strength. Your body is all the equipment you need.

High intensity interval training (HIIT) will exhilarate and exhaust you! Go for a brisk 30-minute walk after and do some light stretching. I’ll share some ideas on that another time. For now, life is waiting, so live it now!

At 49 years old, Dina McLeod has found full body wellness/awareness the key to embracing life. Born on Vancouver Island, her love of the fresh outdoors and genuine desire to stay grounded only grew when she relocated to Kamloops in 1998. She is proof that living a healthy, balanced life can be achieved at any age or fitness level. Her motto: Life is waiting, live it now!