Active Membership

Instead of coaxing me out with a pint or for lunch my friend has started this new habit of inviting me along to a gym class- and none of your pedestrian type of activities like the sauna or splashing about in the swimming pool. It’s classes that involve words like ‘attack’ and ‘combat’ that has prompted me to say ‘get tae’ before hanging up the phone. Similarly another pal has signed up to a gruelling assault course complete with barbed wire and blood. Held this summer it necessitates waiving your rights to physical safety. Good for them I say. Well done. Getting up to train before 9am on a Saturday is admirable, but then they mention the cost.

Monthly membership to a gym has never been something that has appealed to me- even when it has been offered at a discounted rate. It’s thinking you’ve committed by paying up front that tricks most folk, yet how many people have joined a gym for their direct debit to be more active than them?

Back before the recession when health clubs ensnared new members by throwing in a free gym bag/towel, a girl I knew had to back out of her own birthday plans because her crippling gym fee meant she had no spare cash.

On the other hand going to a gym can be a social thing. Some feel they can achieve more by being around competitive people and it can boost a sense of determination by joining a group. Though I try and shrug it off I’m by no means anti-exercise it’s just the cost that bothers me the most, instead here are 3 ways to keep fit for free:

Walking is underrated as a form of exercise. Any lycra clad rake sweating their way around the local park may make you think otherwise, but even though it’s gentle it can be just as physically rewarding. Lunch breaks make for the perfect opportunity to go a wander, and it could mean having a look around the shops or catching up with a friend.

Cycling isn’t for everyone and admittedly my bike has been collecting dust for the past few months. What can you do in these sporadic snow showers we’ve been having (ahem), but Scotland is home to some very impressive coastal, woodland and urban cycle routes so look them up and go for a pedal.

Clubbing only really works as a method of exercise if you don’t team it up with alcohol and tobacco. Dancing is my favourite way to stay fit plus it means getting to dress in sequins as opposed to joggys. And yes it is a free way to stay fit, as long as you get a guest pass and stick to the tap water.
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This article was published in Scotcampus (March 2010)
www.scotcampus.com