Get Fit For Free

'Tis the season for New Year's Resolutions.  The most popular resolution among my female friends is to lose weight or get back into shape.  But with the state of the current economy and so many out of work, few can afford pricey gym fees. 

This year I resolved to find ways to get fit without the high cost of gym or diet center memberships.

SparkPeople is online site that combines the social networking of Myspace.com and the tools of Weight Watchers together.  New members can create a custom-made profile to introduce themselves to other members.  When signing up,  fitness goals are set including desired weight loss, nutrition, exercise and personal wellness.  The site offers a food tracker tool to track calories, fats, and proteins eaten throughout the day.  The food tracker tool also gives the user the option to choose a preset meal plan to follow.  An exercise tracker tool is also available to determine how many calories burned during daily exercise.

SparkPeople also brings to it the social features many online sites such as Myspace and Facebook have.  When signing up the site prompts the user to join Sparkteams, categorized by region, special interests and other topics.  Each team consists of members who encourage and support participants of their team.

Meetup.com is another valuable online site that allows users to find others with similar interests such as walking, running, hiking, and biking.  This social networking site allows also the user to create their own meet up groups to cater to their own interests.

Although Pleasanton seems to be poorly represented in fitness groups on Meetup.com, there are other fitness-related groups within the surrounding area.

One caution for anyone looking to join already established groups; many of the fitness meet up groups are run by personal trainers looking for clientle.  Be sure to do your research and be well-informed of any fees charged for attendence.

Pleasanton offers other fitness groups that welcome newcomers at no charge.

The Huffers & Puffers is a local running group that meets throughout the week.  There is no fee to participate and they enjoy newcomers.   On Saturdays they meet at 9am at in downtown Pleasanton.  They also run on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 6:30pm.  All levels are welcome to join in on group runs.

also located in downtown Pleasanton, offers group road bike rides on Saturdays and Sundays at 9am.  Tuesday evenings at 6pm they host a mountain bike ride on the Pleasanton Ridge.  All rides are free to join.  Road bikers should meet at the store.  Mountain bikers should meet at the Foothill Staging Area just south of Castlewood.  You can contact The CyclePros at (925)400-4336 for more details about upcoming rides.

For the hiking enthusiast, East Bay Regional Parks sponsors a women's hiking group called Women On Common Ground.  This group of women is led by naturalist Katie Colbert who not only provides a great workout but educates her group about the local environment and its furry or feathered residents. The ladies meet in the evening once a month and most hikes are generally free.  For a complete schedule you can contact Katie through East Bay Regional Parks at (925)862-2601 or email her directly at kcolbert@ebparks.org.

East Bay Regional Parks also offers many other active programs that are either free or have a minimal fee including walking, swimming, and kayaking.  See their website at ebpark.com for more details.

With so many options to reach fitness goals without having to deplete the bank account, even the financially strapped can achieve the body they're looking for.

As a graduate in Kinesiology and ten years of experience in the fitness industry, my recommendations are as follows:

1. Put your scale in a closet and don't take it out.  Although losing weight may be your goal, exercises that build muscle will actually add weight which may become frustrating if you're tracking yourself on scale.  However, as you continue to eat healthier and exercise, not only will you gain lean body mass but also lose the unhealthy fat.
2. Keep a food journal of everything you put in your mouth to see what empty calories you can cut out.   Food tracking tools such as the one found on SparkPeople are fantastic to help recognize and eliminate foods that inhibit weight loss.
3. Eliminate process foods and refined sugars. Replace sugary drinks such as soda and juice with water with a slice of lemon or orange.  Limit alcohol consumption as most drinks are loaded with calories and carbohydrates.
4. Exercise at minimum 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes. Your exercise routine should include not only aerobic exercise but also weight training.  Weight training helps weight loss by building muscle and raising resting metabolism (the amount of calories you burn when you're just sitting still) because muscle requires a lot of calories to maintain.
5. Resolve to live an active life style.  Use stairs instead of escalators and elevators.  Park far from the entrance when shopping.  Walk or bike when taking kids to school.  If your budget allows for it, purchase a pedometer which tracks how many steps taken.  They can be bought relatively inexpensively at , Walmart, or at numerous online sites such as Amazon.
6. Judge your success not by how much weight you've lost but how you look and feel.  Are your pants fitting better? Are you seeing change when you look in the mirror?  The scale does not always reflect the change happening in your body.
7. Increase your water intake.  Burning calories requires an adequate supply of water in order to function efficiently.  Dehydration slows down the fat-burning process. Water is also important in flushing toxins created from calories  expenditure.
8. Set small, achievable goals.  Vow to drink more water, eat smaller portions, or work out 3 to 5  times a week.  If you insist on watching the numbers on your scale, 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss per week is a reasonable and healthy goal.
9. Be kind to yourself.  On a rigid weight loss program you are bound to "mess up" once in awhile.  Remember that each day is a new day to get back on your program.  In fact, each meal is a new meal to start anew.
10. Find someone to be accountable to.  Whether it be a workout buddy, a family member, a friend, or neighbor, it is easier to stay on track with your program when you have someone to hold you accountable to your goals.

With all the free exercise opportunities in Pleasanton and online resources available, even a beginner in fitness can reach his or her New Year's goals. 

Disclaimer: When starting any exercise or weight loss program please consult your doctor if you are pregnant, diabetic, have a history of asthma, arthritis, or  have been diagnosed with heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease.  If you have a family history of heart disease, are overweight, have high blood pressure or cholesterol, or are a smoker you should consult your physician.