$$$

Money, money, MONEY! If you sang the song when you read that, you are my kind of people. Today we will talk about the costs to exercise AND the consequences for NOT moving your body. Just a heads up, exercise and movement are one in the same. Many times exercise scares people so I like to refer to it as movement of the body as well. They are interchangeable.

First things first, memberships to mainstream gyms are absolutely ridiculous. Youtube is taking over every group exercise and fitness trainer's life. Let's be real, who wants to work in YET another thing to do in the day. However, depending on your fitness color/type. The sacrifice of time and money may be worth it. Side note, there is a little quiz called, The 8 Colors of Fitness, link here: https://the8colorsoffitness.com/

I would GREATLY advise taking it to see how YOU best enjoy exercising. I won't tell you much more except I am a gold, my mom is a green and my dad is a blue... tehe. If you decide to take the quiz I would LOVE to know what color YOU are!

Back to the topic of $$$. Honestly, exercise can be done at home with a YouTube video, and your body weight. If you have never exercised before, I would suggest seeking someone to guide and direct your form and what exercises to do so that you don't get hurt. However, everyone does a squat daily (getting up and down from a chair), walk and use your abs to move (putting on the seat belt). Just knowing those 3 things you can do your own little workout. For mommas, picking up your kiddos all day long is a form of movement and exercise. I am a FIRM believer of body weight first. Because if you can't lift yourself, how do you expect to pick up and maintain something heavier?

If you are someone who accomplishes more and greatly enjoys/benefits from group activity, start a walking mom club, a challenge among friends to squat 5 times once an hour or after every cup of water you drink. Sky really is the limit here. For those who have seen the BEST results through a gym like setting... allow budgeting to be your friend. Take a week of your debit card statements and see where you spend your money... MOST people have at least ONE thing they can cut back on and or drop completely in order to create funds for a gym membership, group exercise classes and or a personal trainer. For example, how much do you spend on fancy coffee? Eating out? Clothes? Subscriptions to some sort of television? Momma, you DO NOT have to go without but limiting that Starbucks to once a week, purchasing stuff to make sandwiches or saying no to that 1,000th pair of leggings is going to eventually change your life forever.... GUESS WHAT?!? Every gym/fitness studio I have ever worked at or visited has a FREE trial option of some sort...whether it is first class free, first week free... and if a trainer is worth your time they will also offer a mini session for free if you ask (shameless plugs here because I do ALL of these free things).

So far we need to: take the 8 colors of fitness test : look at our budgets.

What is next? Making sure we acknowledge and are extremely aware of WHY movement/exercise is so important. I am going to give you a little back story of the reason I decided to major in exercise science.... I remember it like it was yesterday... Your grandma has vascular dementia Alex. Her brain looks like swiss cheese because she did not take care of herself. The memories after that information was presented are ones of pure horror. My best friend in the entire world was super sick and there was nothing to be done. Consequences for years of saying no to water and movement had cost my grandma her enjoyment of life, memory and eventually all her freedoms. Is there more to a diagnosis like this than just not drinking enough water? Of course. But imagine what her life could have been like if she laid off the diet coke and drank some milk or water every once in a while... would it have changed the ending result of dementia? More than likely not, but instead of being 56 and sick she might have made it to 70 before her health declined. All of this to present to you the importance of just how critical it is to choose to sacrifice the cost of time/money in order to prolong YOUR quality of life. You my friend are NOT helpless and it is NEVER too late.