Cheap ways of getting membership at the Y or other gyms?

Kizzume

I don't have jack sh*t for money right now, but I really feel out of shape. Does anyone know if there are any sort of special ways someone can maybe get into the YMCA for a seriously reduced price? I sure would love to start to feel healthy again. I just haven't been nearly as active as I should be.

Heck, I'd just love to find a great pool that I could go to. Water exercise is so great, but it's hard to find cheap.

Any suggestions?

jen · Joined: 05 Dec 2007 Posts: 69

That's a good question. Let me check a few things, and see what I can find. Kudos to you to want to try to get in shape. I find most people just don't want to. I shall find some info for you if I can. Very Happy

Kizzume · Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:39 pm Post subject:

Thanks.

I'm hoping I can stop weed again, at least for a while, and spend the money I was using on weed on a gym membership. I just need something that can take the place of it when I stop using. The last time I focused on food and in 6 months gained almost 50 pounds (which I've lost since then)--this time I'd like to have something positive to focus on when I quit weed.

It may seem strange to have a plan for when I quit weed, but I just want to make sure that the things that brought me back into it before won't bring me back into it again, and I think that working out a little bit would help that.

jq · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 1124

I just started getting back into shape myself. I have been in hideious shape. (By that I mean I have been very weak.) I don't have enough money for gym membership either.

What I started doing was 3 sets of push-ups every other day. lol, my first day I had to take a 3 day break because I was sore for that long! I was only able to do 13 pushups and it nearly killed me. By the third set I was done working out for the day. That was about a week, week and a half ago. Now I can do 20. Still lame by fitness standarsd.

Of course, I don't do normal pushups. I put my feet up on the bed while doing it so there is more resistance. It seems to be very effective. I am already getting stronger.

The other things I plan on doing is getting a pullup bar ($8-20 depending where you go) to put in between a door frame. I plan on integrating pullups with my pushups, and also working abs that way. (You can work abs really well on a pull up bar without being dangerous. Simply pulling yourself up, and then extending your legs with each pullup.)

And for christmas I asked for a gripper. I plan on building my grip strength, too.

So for me, it will be, a stronger chest, stronger back, abs, and forearm. For legs I am simply doing a lot of walking.

jq · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 1124

Kizzume, do you feel addicted to weed? I haven't heard of that before. Good luck on kicking it. It can be a fairly expensive habit. The reason I don't smoke weed is honestly just because I don't like how it makes me feel. (Whereas I do like drinking.)

Kizzume · Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 6:55 pm Post subject:

It's the money. The little bit of money I do get I usually end up spending on it, and that's not a way to go. If I was making enough money to do that and do everything else I want to do, that'd be a different story.

But it's purely the money issue. That's the main component that made me decide to quit last time too.

Kizzume · Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 10:19 pm Post subject:

Another thing that I didn't really mention is this:

There are certain points where instead of making me feel good, weed makes me feel "normal" and when I don't have it in my system, I don't have any patience with anything and become agitated really easily. I don't like feeling that way--and when THAT is what "normal" is, it's time to get a reality check. Even if at the very least I quit for a couple weeks--at least I will have balanced out what being normal really is again, for at least a little while.

Too much of anything isn't good. I'm obsessive-compulsive, ADHD, panic, and bi-polar--it's easy for me to stuck on something, so that means I need to take extra care. I'm glad I've taken care with alcohol so far.

I realize that if I do the gym thing that I might obsess on that--at least I'd be obsessing on something healthful.

jen · Joined: 05 Dec 2007 Posts: 69

Well, sadly, I could not really find anything specific that was not in need of some sort of fee. I would say try to start walking more. Do whatever you can to just move more. It will , in time, begin to make you feel better. Then you can work up to something more. I agree with JQ on the working out at home, push ups, pull ups, anything you can do to work muscles that do not get worked typically. The hardest thing is always the motivation to keep doing it. I always get super pumped to start a new workout routine, I bust ass the first few weeks. Then, I find myself slacking, and not doing it for entire days at the time. Try to find some way to keep yourself motivated, and that will help tremendously.

Kizzume · Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:07 pm Post subject:

I wonder if around $50 could cover the fee for a place...

jen · Joined: 05 Dec 2007 Posts: 69

I am not sure about Tacoma, but around here 50 bucks a month could get you a sweet gym membership. The only downside is you usually have to sign a contract for at least a year. It would be a certain motivation to actually go if you knew you had to pay the money either way. Very Happy