10 Free Ways to Exercise in San Diego

Sweat baby sweat like the catchy 80’s song you have to work it. As much as I have tried, it seems that the fat on my thighs simply refuses to burn itself off as I lounge. The idea of a costly gym membership annoys the budget-hungry hippy buried in my sparkly earrings. Moreover, since we live in San Diego, why not try to be a little bit more creative.

10. Make Friends
Unless we are pushing someone else and being pushed back just as hard, we won’t budge. I won’t call it lazy, simply comfortable. Grab a friend or two and start a walking club. A little a day will change your world.
9. Buy a Pet
Dog parks, cat parks, ferret walks. Walk them or run them. Daily. Nightly. Often.

8. Blog about Crazy Fads Online
I once read of someone replacing their computer chair with an exercise ball. Another individual was determined and removed all furniture from their apartment; it meant they had to get up further and more often, in order to reach things.

Use other people’s idea. It’s called sharing. Just don’t go out and spend $200 on a new exercise device designed to perfect you body. Arm reps with bags of rice are just as effective.

7. Plan an Activity Day
Try a game of ultimate Frisbee at Mission Bay Park or hiking the trails of Torrey Pines State Reserve. With so many places to go out and explore, why not try a new one every week. Each Saturday or Sunday replace a movie day with an activity day and in no time, you’ll see the results.

6. Ever heard of YouTube?
Free exercise routines, to be performed in the privacy of your own home, can be found in video, picture, and word form, all over the internet. Whether you want to try Yoga, Pilates, dance, or martial arts, it’s free.

5. The Basics
Squats and lunges, baby. Also, remember Abs (crunches are fun and can be inventive...ooh reverse crunches) and planks. You may not like the plank but the plank loves you. All these, including jump roping, can be done anywhere (stairwells at work, parks, home, etc).

4. Bicycle
Trade in your car for a bicycle. You’ll feel better in no time; you’ll also end up meeting a new group of people to share interesting road side stories with.

3. Daily Acceptance
There are no more elevators or moving escalators; aliens have stolen all of them. Accept this.

2. Centers
One option you may not have thought of is the San Diego Continuing Education Center. Check out their website at www.sandiegocet.net they offer multiple campuses and both free and small fee fitness classes, including, Body Dynamics (Free) and Ballroom Dancing (Fee).

1. Meditation
It may not seem like much but sometimes the best exercise is relaxation. The Self-Realization Fellowship Ashram Center in Encinitas is open to the public and anyone looking for a group to sit with should definitely visit these meditation gardens.

So, grab some friends and your dog, try some crazy ideas, turn into a tourist, and if all else fails go running on the beach. Better yet, intercept a Frisbee from a stranger’s dog and then go running. Live a little.