[Photo/courtesy]Getting into a desired shape can be an expensive affair as the cost of gym membership will strain your wallet and encourage you to quit. While cost is a major factor people do not achieve their fitness goals, time constraints is another component that stymies their ability to workout.With cost and time working against you, you may find it strenuous to stick to an exercise regimen or worse still opt out altogether. Firstly, you do not need loads of cash to burn calories or stay fit.All you need is a plan and a few coins to oil it. The average monthly cost of a gym membership is Sh5, 000 out of which about Sh3, 000 per month is wasted due under-utilisation. A number of research articles have revealed that most people fail to commit to a workout regime despite enrolling to a fitness class.It turns out some people pay not go to the gym! What is the justification of paying so much money only to attend 30 per cent gym sessions? PD Wikendi sought ways you can use to reduce cost at the gym and at home.Home remediesAccording to retired bodybuilder and fitness expert, George Wando, affordability, can often trump the convenience of having the gym in your backyard but you can improvise at home.“You do not need sophisticated tools for a workout plan that works. You can improvise homemade weight training at home and still reap commendable results without having to spend thousands that comes with gym-equipment purchases. Easy tricks like filling up water bottles with water or sand and using them as dumbbells or creating homemade equipment can go a long way,” he says.Don’t swipe and sweatHe adds that gym membership and enrollment rates can be little flexible hence the need to always bargain to get the best deal possible. You could also wait for discounts to be announced before you enrol, and might get up 50 per cent off sometimes.Consider off-peak membershipWe get busy sometimes and it makes no sense at all to pay full membership when you will only be at the gym for a fraction of your time, says Wando. It noteworthy, that many facilities offer discounted memberships for access outside of peak hours ─ during the day on weekdays or late at night. You may realize it, but you could end up saving a lot of cash.Pay for a full year in upfrontMonthly subscription costs more than quarterly subscriptions, hence full year membership will cost much less than you can imagine. Most gyms offer major discounts to members who pay for multiple months in full. If you can afford the full year membership, go for it.Enroll as a groupGroup registrations are often given better deals compared to individuals. You can gather a few friends or colleagues and use it a bargain for a better deal. With gyms mushrooming in our estates, it will be a good idea to show up with a few friends or family members and offer to sign up all at once in exchange for a discount, and you’ll be more likely to score a great deal.Join free classesMajority of gyms are now offering free aerobic classes, and if your target is not strength training which requires weights then you can shine by capitalising on callisthenic exercises offered in the gym.

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