Working out has been a part of my routine most days since high school. I don’t mean that I’m a great athlete, or that I do hardcore fitness adventures like triathlons.  I just mean taking 30 to 45 minutes to get my heart pumping.

I’ve found the trick to sticking with exercise is to find a routine that fits in easily with your daily schedule and one that is not expensive.  It has to be convenient and flexible so it can work around your schedule.

Gym memberships can be expensive.  Even the cheaper ones often have hidden fees and one or two year contracts.  The cost adds up, especially when you’re not sure how much you’ll be using it.  And individual classes can run up to $20 a class.

Before I had kids, I would work out at the gym after work.  I would take a class, do some weights, shower, and head home with my husband. Sometimes it would take a couple hours, but it didn’t matter much. I had more time back then.

Once I had kids, I started working part-time. I would rush to work in the morning and then rush back home to take care of the kids.  I still tried going to the gym once in awhile, but it was no longer relaxing. Instead it was stressful finding the time I could go, finding someone to watch the kids, and then rushing to get back home.

Plus, I was paying $100 a month for a membership that wasn’t getting a lot of use. And childcare was an additional cost. I had to find another way.

I wanted to find inexpensive workouts that I could do from home any time and still work up a good sweat.  It took some time to figure out which ones worked the best, but now I work out most days from home. Here are my current favorites.

YouTube Workout Channels

I am having so much fun with this one.  I rarely do the same video twice so you never get in a rut.  There are still lots of channels I haven’t tried yet. I just set my laptop on the table, grab a mat, and workout in the family room. Below are my current favorites (all free!).

FitnessBlender:  This one is the most comprehensive site that I’ve found that is free.  It has both beginner workouts and difficult, 1000 calorie workouts. There’s a handy filter on their website that you can use to find the right workout.  You can choose from difficulty level, time length, and type of workout.

Christine Salus:  She releases a new video every Tuesday. The videos are anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.  Her workouts are tough and a nice blend of cardio and resistance training.  She will sometimes use a kettle bell, but for the most part it’s just body weight.

Millionaire Hoy. This is my new favorite. He doesn’t use weights or any equipment. It’s just non-stop movement for 30 to 60 minute.  He also includes a short warm-up and cool down.

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)

If you don’t have much time, this one is a winner. The format varies, but it’s usually rounds of 30 seconds of intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. Recent studies have shown a short intense workout has many of the same benefits as a slower, more moderately paced workout.

Many of the YouTube channels mentioned above have HIIT workouts. Or you can go online and download a HIIT workout to follow.  Once you’ve done enough videos, you can also make up your own routine.

I use an app called Gymboss Interval Timer and usually set it for 30 seconds of activity and 10 seconds of break for 35 to 40 rounds.  I’ve also been picking out song lists from Spotify to workout to.

Then I switch between a 30 second cardio round, a 10 second rest, a 30 second strength building round, and another 10 second rest. For the cardio I’ll do jumping jacks, jumping rope, high knees or mountain climbers. And for the strength-training rounds I’ll do push-ups, sit-ups and squats. This is a great way to get in both cardio and weight training in a short amount of time.

An added benefit to working out at home is that your kids get to see you doing it and may even join you. My youngest daughter is often up early when I’m exercising and will jump in with me.  She especially likes when we make-up our own workouts to music.

Fitbit

Fitbit tracks your steps each day and tells you how many calories you’ve burned. (Although the calorie count seems to overestimate the actual calories burned.) It also syncs up to you iPhone so you can keep track over time.

It’s just as important to get up and move regularly as it is to do focus exercising. Fitbit gives an added incentive to get up and walk. Walking up and down the stairs, running in place, doing jumping jacks, or sweeping the house all count. The goal is 10,000 steps each day but I don’t always make it.