It's Not All About Food

I cannot stress how important I think it is for people to be active in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. People try to justify their lack of exercise by arguing that they don't have the time or money to join a gym. I say, "when there's a will, there's a way."

I am lucky enough to have a gym membership to Bally Total Fitness as a birthday present from my parents. I like this gym for several reasons: it's convenient between work and home, has a great facility, and my monthly membership includes a variety of fitness classes. This allows me to vary my workout routine between cardio equipment, weight training, pilates, yoga, and tae kwando.

This doesn't mean that you need to go join a nearby Bally as soon as possible in order to be fit. There are many ways for people to stay active, no matter what their budget is.

Here are several ways people can exercise for free:

• go jogging outside
• borrow workout DVDs from your local library
• start a team game outside with your friends/family

Another great resource is the YMCA, since their membership fees are based on a sliding scale.