Work out on a budget – at home and in your neighbourhood

Taking the stairs and biking or walking to work are easy ways to add more exercise into your daily routine. But how else can you improve your fitness in a rental home and its surroundings without a gym membership or expensive equipment? Use your imagination and try an easy, more active lifestyle!

Bench workout at the park

For this workout, all you need is a park bench and a bit of creativity.

Start by challenging your arms with push-ups against the bench. Then, turn around and do some dips – this way, your arms and back get a workout from multiple angles. Next, it's time for your legs: step one foot onto the bench and squat, then switch legs mid-air. You can also do planks on the bench, holding a static position where your whole body has to work to maintain the pose.

You can find seated exercise routines online by searching for "chair workout."

You can easily do these exercises outside as well - and enjoy the fresh air at the same time.

Child as a personal trainer

Do you often find yourself perched on the edge of the sandbox while your child plays in the park? Make good use of your outdoor time by doing squats or jumping jacks instead of sitting. Many parks also have benches where you can do a bit of a bench workout while keeping an eye on your child.

Or designate your offspring as your personal trainer: do a squat jump or burpee every time your child calls your name. Come up with your own exercises for when your little one says "watch this" or even laughs. Or just run after your kid, wherever they go. If you can keep that up for even half an hour, you'll likely be sweating yourself!

Put free gyms to the test

A brisk walk to a nearby free outdoor gym warms up your muscles for strength training. Start your workout without weights or with minimal resistance, and increase the challenge as you progress. This way, you'll remember the correct movement patterns when you use heavier weights.

If your building has an indoor gym, don’t hesitate to give strength training a try. Take your time getting to know the equipment. On your first visit, you could just familiarize yourself with the different machines.

You can also challenge a neighbor to join you. It's more fun to learn together!

You can find free gym routines online, and a good warm-up before the gym is jumping rope, for example.

Work those legs

Walking is safe, versatile, and effective exercise. Jogging is also completely free, and you can enjoy nice sceneries at the same time. If you want to intensify your walking or jogging, interval training is an easy way to boost your fitness. Walk or jog between a couple of streetlights, then sprint the next one. You can find instructions for more complex interval running workouts online.

Looking for more of a challenge? Stair running is a great workout. In some areas, there are even fitness stairs built specifically for this purpose.

Home workouts are effective and cheap

If you're interested in yoga, barre, or circuit training, you can find free workout programs on, for example, YouTube. Decide how many times a week you'll work out and schedule it on your calendar. This way, exercise won't get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Choose the program you'll use in advance so you don't spend your workout time searching for the right content.

Many home workouts don't require fancy equipment – often, your own body weight is enough. For arm training, you can use a pair of water bottles filled to the brim or similar-sized canned goods. And if you're interested in buying your own fitness equipment, check out second-hand options on platforms like Tori or Facebook Marketplace first.

Affordable winter sports

Could it be time to revive childhood memories of skiing and hit the trails or ice? Many cities also create skating rinks on sports fields or frozen lakes. You can get winter sports equipment at a good price from sports second-hand stores. Or post a notice on your building's bulletin board – maybe someone would give away unused equipment for free?

Visit a friend by bike

You can enjoy the changing scenery more quickly from the saddle of a bike. If a simple aimless bike ride feels odd, set a goal for your spin: visit a friend or pick up a carton of milk from a store further away. This way, you can accomplish two things at once.

You can also transport your bike on a local train or metro outside of rush hours. Take the metro to Lauttasaari and cycle around the island along the coastal route.

Recharge your mind with forest meditation

Did you know that forests benefit your skin and mental health through their microbes? If there are natural forests and trails near your residential area, put on sturdy sneakers and head out for a trail walk.

Forest calms the mind  - and taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body.

You can easily turn a trail walk into a meditation session by simply observing your surroundings and everything you experience at that moment. Focus on what you smell right now, what sounds you hear right now, how the wind feels on your skin, and whether you sense the proximity of water. On this walk, hugging trees is not only allowed but also encouraged!

Routines create well-being

Well-being comes from long-term routines, not crash diets or occasional gym sessions with too much weight. Going for a brisk walk in nature once a week and doing a home workout another time is already a great achievement.

Make exercise something enjoyable that you look forward to. Take time for yourself and move at your own pace.

This way, you'll have a positive memory of exercising, making it easier to start your next workout. You'll notice the positive results of regular training as the weeks go by – both physically and mentally.