Getting in shape is one of the most common goals that people have. Whether they want to lose weight or just get back in the swing of things, improving fitness should always be celebrated and encouraged. Unfortunately, most of the time reaching your fitness goals requires paying a lot of money to a gym so you can be a member. For those that want to commit to fitness, but don’t want to spend the money on a membership at a big box gym, there are ways to save!

While it is not impossible to stay fit without a gym membership, it may require some creativity on your part. A great idea is to turn your house into it’s own gym. For example, you could take the money that you’d spend on a yearly gym membership and invest in your own weight set. The weights will always be there when you want them and you have to continue paying for them each year. You could also use common household items like tables, chair, paint cans and more to leverage your bodyweight and create your own homemade weights.

You can also turn to body weight exercises and use them exclusively. Exercises like push ups, crunches and squats only need a small amount of space to be performed. There are even apps for your smartphone that create a daily bodyweight program for your, so all you’ll have to do is find the time to complete them. You can also buy a pair of good running shoes from a store like Footlocker and take up a running program. You can even challenge yourself by signing up for a race like a 10K to ensure that you keep up with your program.

The good news is that one’s fitness level isn’t defined by their gym membership. With dedication and a little bit of creativity, you will be able to stay fit no matter where you are working out at.