You can still lose weight without going to gym

January is perceived to be a tough month when money seems to enjoy performing disappearing acts on our wallets.

This might frustrate your resolution to sign up for gym memberships because they don’t come cheap.

This reminds me of September 2015 when I made the decision to lose weight; I was flat broke at the time.

Pocket money from my mother went to paying for bus fare to work at a PR agency in town.

Since it was an internship, my supervisor made it clear that he would not be offering any financial compensation, but I did not complain because I needed the work experience.

At the same time, exercise was sine qua non of my weight loss journey. I knew I could do it without lifting a finger seeing as 80 per cent of weight loss is pegged on what we eat and 20 per cent on exercise, but I wanted to tone my body and get rid of sagging skin.

Without money to get a fancy gym membership, I began research on affordable workouts and discovered quite a number of workouts that cost next to nothing.

Fast forward to today, I can afford the local gym rates but prefer saving that money because these work out routines still serve me well:

Skipping rope: I got a skipping rope from the supermarket at Sh300 and started off with a 50-count skip every morning. I added 20-count skips weekly up to a standard 300 count. Skipping had me exercising my arms; torso and ankles; working up a great sweat to kick-start my day. This is a workout I enjoy to date.

Water bottle arm stretch: Back then, I couldn’t afford dumbbells so I would fill 2 one-litre bottles with water and use them as for arm stretches to firm up my upper arms.

YouTube workout videos: These carry the day with Tifanny Rothe’s towel workouts and Brazilian Zumba dances being my personal favourites. The workouts range from 10-minute clips to 30-minute full workouts and can be enjoyed from the comfort of one’s living room.

You can pause a video to catch your breath and resume after a few minutes. I also enjoy Brazilian dance and do it in my bedroom in very brief clothing as I am guaranteed privacy.

Morning jogs, power walks or runs: I have massive thighs which adopted a snail-paced reduction rate unlike my upper body that was quick to reduce in size. Because of this, I resorted to morning jogs and power-walks to get my legwork done. To be honest, this is my least favourite exercise despite it being the most affordable.

I live on the slopes of Ngong Hills, a very ideal place to catch a morning run so I jog thrice a week and if it's raining and I'm stuck indoors, I turn on my computer to Pablo’s Brazilian dance.

Working out does not have to cost an arm and a leg. The most important thing is to get started. Diversify your workout routines with both things you enjoy and those you dread so as to spice up your exercising.

It is important that you work up a sweat and feel a little muscle ache too as Pablo Jacobo says, “No pain No gain.”