Once you find the workout DVDs you like to keep, check out ebay or half.com for used ones.

Also, as a single guy you should definitely subscribe/buy Men’s Health if only for the recipes which are healthy, quick, and pretty damn tasty.

Things I’m learning works on tight budgets are:
Riding exercise bike indoors during rain and snow.
Riding outdoor bike on nice days.
Using an exercise video like Winsor Pilates or Susan Powters Lean & Strong or Billy Banks Tae Bo.
Using a few free weights for resistance.
Jump roping.
Taking the kids for a walk/talk on warm nights–after dinner.
Cutting out junk foods and training myself to eat healthier.

Alyice
http://thedabblingmum.com

The Carnival of Health and Fitness is back. Spurred on in part by an entry from Flexo, just as I was thinking about bringing it back. These entries were scoured from some reads this week and I thought you might enjoy them.
Flexo at Consumerism Commenta…

I do a lot of exercise dvds-a manly one is Power 90 from http://www.beachbody.com which is doing weights one day and cardio the next day. They are a little pricey new but you can find them used on ebay.

Also you can check out http://www.netflix.com and try out different dvds there.

It’s time again for the weekly roundup. So, without further ado, here are some of the best personal finance blog entries that I ran across in the past week.

I spent about $30 for both and have lost 13 lbs over the last two months. Pretty good considering I gained 5 lbs or so over the holidays for the last decade and never took it off. I am going for slow, permanent weight loss.

1. Start off by walking during lunch. 45 min/day for five days is good if you haven’t been exercising. Move up from there. If you’re serious, you’ll want to eventually start lifting weights in addition to cardio.
2. Don’t *go* on a diet, *change* your diet. More fruits and vegetables. I like a chocolate protein shake in the morning w oatmeal. Don’t skip meals, but eat a little along and along.
3. Most important, get the eye of the tiger. Get mad a chips and fatty foods — they’re lying to you. Don’t miss a workout come hell or high water. If your grandmother is sick but you need to do a workout, do your workout, then visit your grandmother. Don’t ask how little you can do, push yourself a little harder.

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Carnival of the Vanities. As a summary of each piece, I’m listing each author’s reason for submitting the post to the carnival (for those that submitted one) and/or a bit of the post

Personally, I hate workout videos because they are always yapping away in those things but if you are into them try these:

Yoga Shakti – it’s an interactive customizable comprehensive yoga program with several routines in one. You can tailor your own routine from the selection of individual poses or follow one of the provided ones.

Bryan Krest’s power yoga – fast flowing and intense. Most yoga programs can be a little boring to new converts. This maintains enough momentum to keep it from putting you to sleep.

TaeBo – surprisingly fun and good cardio. Billy Blanks is also both hilarious and pretty motivational. When he says, “Come on now, one more. You can do it” … you do one more.

You can also try some classes. Thai kickboxing is great. Along with the physical benefits you get to work off any pent up frustration from the day in a class where aggression is expected so no one will stare at you if you throw one too many punches. Just remember to stop short of bashing your sparring partners head in.

Oh, as for doing crunches and push ups right, tighten your stomach muscles. Otherwise it puts too much pressure on your back. Think slow and controlled, not jerky movements and exhale as you get into position (up for crunches, down for push ups) and inhale when you relax into starting position. I don’t know if this is detailed enough but you could probably check out some men’s health site (or women’s health sites even) for better instructions. Good luck!

Of course, running outside is always free, and has the added bonus of fresh air…

I’ve tried yoga with a video but I didn’t feel I was doing the positions properly and didn’t keep up with it. I’ll check work-out DVDs (no VCR anymore), but I’d like to find something that teaches you how to do the exercises properly.

Feel free to drop more suggestions!

link

http://www.pamsmith.com/bonus/walkrunprogram.pdf

It is a nice program that starts off easy enough for someone out of shape and gets you to running for a half an hour at a time within 12 weeks.

Also, remember to excercise before you eat, not vice versa. And, exercising first thing in the morning is probably best as it quickly boosts your daily metabolism and you can get home and shower.

2. For the summer, you may want to consider getting a bicycle. It’s fun and you get a good workout.

I buy healthy bulk fruits and vegetables from Costco; spinach, sweet peppers, bananas, and apples. I bring these to work and snack all day long, so I don’t have to take a full hour for lunch.

At lunchtime, since I’m not eating, I walk 3-4 miles. I’m in Oregon so the weather is rarely cold, but often wet. Appropriate outer layers take care of that problem. I suppose one could even use an umbrella.

During the drier months, try riding a bike. It’s cheap (as long as you don’t get into the cycling bling), fun, and a great workout if you let it be. If your girlfriend is like-minded, it’s also a good activity to do together. If you enjoy it, you can get a trainer ($150 or so) and ride while watching TV when you don’t feel like riding outside.

Avoid mechanical contraptions that do work for you. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Make a habit of walking quickly (not obnoxiously so, though). Carry suitcases instead of getting a little cart.

Good luck!