Exercise Options For People Without A Gym

A viewer says they want to get some exercise, but can't afford a gym membership. Doctor Lacy Anderson has some other options for exercise outside the gym.

There are a lot of exercises you can do from your own home without paying for a gym membership, and you can even get home workout recommendations online or on YouTube videos for free. 

Anyone at any age can do some basic strength training from home. Exercises like lunges, squats, pushups and sit ups can all be done at home. If you can add in a 30-minute brisk walk once a day, you’ll even add in some cardio.  

For older adults, many of these exercises can be modified. If you can’t do a full squat, you can start with chair squats, where you start from a chair and just stand up and sit back down in the chair. This will help strengthen your quadriceps muscles. When you get a bit stronger, you can do squats while holding on to the back of a chair or couch. 

If you can’t do a full push up, you can do a modified pushup with bent knees or start with wall pushups where you lean forward and push yourself off of the wall. 

You can also use inexpensive exercise bands if you don’t have hand weights at home.

Remember that any exercise is better than no exercise, so try to have fun with it.