“You’ve talked about all the components of fitness and how we should be including cardio, strength and stretching into every workout, but looking at the options around Halifax, this can get costly. What do you suggest for a starving student who wants to do it all on a shoe-string budget?” – Penny Push-Ups
You’re right. I have told you to do a lot, and if you look at the many options for meeting those recommendations you probably think I am conspiring to bankrupt your food budget as a rapid weight loss strategy (this is NOT a good strategy, just in case the sarcasm wasn’t clear).
If you are joining a yoga studio, fitness centre, running group, sport club, or speaking with a nutritional consultant, etc., you are looking at some pretty ridiculous costs that aren’t possible for most students. Not to worry, though. Your options are many.
Let’s start close to home. As Dal students (full-time), we have access to the Dalplex. Included in the Dalplex are most of the components required to meet your fitness needs. Weights, a pool, running track, rock climbing wall, squash courts and lots of classes that can get your blood rushing. But, if you are a treadmill and elliptical kind of person, you are looking at an additional cost. I’m not entirely sure what the rationale is for this and know that it wasn’t the case when I was at Acadia or SMU. Then again, they didn’t have many of the fitness options we have here in our gym, so I’m willing to forgive and forget.
Some people are not comfortable at the Dalplex. Our hard-working Tigers spend a lot of time there, which can make some new exercisers uncomfortable. As well, some of the equipment/facilities are a bit on the worn side. So, if you are OK spending a little bit of cash, there are other options.
Both GoodLife Fitness and YMCA have pretty diverse fitness centres close to campus that include cardio, weights, classes (including yoga) and more. At each facility you pay a membership fee and, at times, some other class-specific fees (although I think these are fairly rare). GoodLife also has a women’s-only option near Dalhousie at Park Victoria on South Park Street. In the same vein, you can also find Fitness FX near Dal on Quinpool Road. The facility looks a bit smaller (I have not seen it myself yet), but it seems to be fairly comprehensive, so I would check it out.
Let’s get away from the traditional options and explore some of the cheap alternative choices. We’ve beat boot camps to death, but they are a great option for frugal exercisers. See my previous articles about local boot camps.
As spring approaches (in a hypothetical world where we actually had a winter), many running groups will start to pop up as people prepare for the Bluenose and other races. These groups range from learn to run all the way to full marathon craziness. If you go to Running Room, you pay a small fee, but get a lot out of it. Other groups exist ranging from completely free to a more costly one-on-one ratio of trainer to participant. Check online (especially Kijiji) to find a program that fits your budget and needs.
I’ve gone over a lot of at-home options in the past, but these can be economical choices if you adhere to the programs and work them to the max. These are a bit of a gamble, though, as you can drop some significant cash on at-home materials and hardly use them. Make sure you are ready to commit before you buy.
The bottom line is that it is possible to get some significant fitness access/assistance without breaking the bank. Sometimes it takes a bit of work to find the right option for you, but consider it a part of your mental workout plan.
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