How do you exercise if you have no space or money?

[JammyGem]

I've hit a low point and have realised I desperately need to lose weight. The diet bit I can do (sort of) but I'm so unfit and struggle with any exercise. DH works late hours so I cannot leave the house after putting DD to bed until he gets home at about midnight. We walk home from nursery and I try to take detours so it's a longer walk, but as I pick her up pretty late after work this often backfores because she gets overtired. I am massively in debt and cannot afford to pay out for any equipment, clothes/shoes or memberships. Our house is tiny and there is no space to really exercise either, other than the metre square in front of the hob/oven in the kitchen.

Can anyone recommend any form of exercise I would be able to do? I'm fed up of being this fat ugly useless lump but I have no idea how to get fit. I looked into exercise I can do in a confined space and the only thing that really came up was a book by Charles Bronson (!) but I know Mumsnetters often have brilliant ideas so I'm hoping you can help!

Look at Alice Liveing on Facebook. She has a number of routines where you only need the space of an exercise mat.

Not Facebook, Instagram!

Charlotte's Belly Blitz and Jillian Michaels videos are on YouTube and are fab, I used to do them in my old flat in the tiny kitchen!

YouTube! There's so many free fitness videos. I love doing Zumba workouts

After you've dropped her off at nursery, walk the long way home. Walk for around 30 minutes before you pick her up. You could walk up and down your stairs several times. Watch some yoga videos, just dance around with your DD, both of you will get some exercise.
Simple things like stretching, touch your toes, jog on the spot, sit ups. All free and don't need much space.

Look up free outdoor gyms near you. Visit it on your way home from dropping her to nursery. COuld you get up earlier, and go for a walk around the block before getting DD ready for nursery? Take DD along to the outdoor gym and give her something else to do.

How do you get to work? Park further away and walk the rest of the way, or get off the bus/train a stop earlier. Take the stairs instead of the lift. Drink more water.

Most importantly, what are you eating? Do you cook from scratch? Cutting out some meat can help with the budget and lowering calories in meals.

I recently picked up a little foot pedal thing for £1 from a charity shop. I can sit watching the TV and peddle away. Look for free exercise items on freecycle, olio or nextdoor. best of luck.

If you can afford £20 a month, get the fiit app. I think first 2wks are free. Its brilliant. Lots of classes and plans.

If you cant afford that, Fitness Blender on youtube.

Walking. 100 calories burnt (can be more depending on your weight), roughly, per mile. You can easily walk 3 miles in an hour. More calories can be burnt if you carry something heavy in a back pack. Pretty much zero recovery. You might have to fit this in on the weekend/days off but it is much better than doing nothing.

Floor exercises like plank, press ups, squats etc for toning and strengthening.

Youtube - watch exercise videos and pick out the bits you can do in your home in the space available. Use bean cans as weights etc. You might not be able to do all the exercises in the same place. What about a strip of space on the floor by the side of your bed? Can do abs exercises down there?

African dance workouts on YouTube.

80% of weight loss is diet. You can't exercise away a bad diet.

Do you have stairs at home? If you're watching a TV programme with adverts, walk up and down stairs at every ad-break.

Google resistance band exercises.

JML have this Tone Zone: 10-in-1 Abs, Hips, Thighs & Arms Shaper Exercise Equipment on offer at £14.99 for a limited time

Keep an eye on Aldi and Lidl specials, they do very reasonably priced exercise stuff.

A Pilates ring doesn't take up much room.

Walking, joe wicks (I found it so difficult/impossible to start with but I'd push on through, and I really mean push, and after a while it got a bit easier, then much easier) , zumba on you tube.

Could you get up half an hour earlier each day and exercise /go for a run? Couch to 5K is good. Also, the Lose Weight App for Women has exercises which can be done in a small space and there's a reminder to drink water on it. Sometimes it's just a change in mindset that does it. Good luck

Sorry pressed post too soon. Whatever you pick, enjoy op and if it doesn't suit you keep searching

I'm fed up of being this fat ugly useless lump

You're not any of those things OP. Walking is a great way to start exercising and improve your wellbeing. Can you do it when you walk back from nursery on your own? You can do it your shoes and even better if you have some music pumping in your ears. I did this years ago when I felt fat and fed up. I quickly built up to doing the couch to 5k and running 5k most days of the week. If you do want to start running you could ask for trainers, or vouchers towards, a pair of trainers for birthday/Christmas.

Yoga is also good for wellbeing and gets you using your body in a way that isn't too brutal to start with (nothing worse than throwing yourself into a difficult exercise regime). With yoga you get quick results in terms of being more flexible, touching toes then heels etc is a great boost.

Taking small steps would be my advice and aim for improvement to your wellbeing to start with. Good luck OP.

Have a look at fit with Walsh on Instagram. During lockdown she’s loaded up workouts that are easily doable with little equipment. If she ever uses weights grab a can out of the cupboard, or just do it without. There is one post she did where she did 50 burpees per day for a month and the difference it made to her figure is amazing! You only need yourself for that.

Look up Chloe Ting workouts. You can do them in your living room.

I looked into exercise I can do in a confined space and the only thing that really came up was a book by Charles Bronson (!)

Lol. I think confined space warped your results there. Google 10 minute, or 15 minute exercises and you'll get better (non-incarceration) results.

If you are as unfit as you say, then look at Joe Wicks exercise for seniors to begin with. Seriously, you can start off sitting on a chair. Also get into the habit of moving as you wait for the kettle to boil, or you are washing up or even in a supermarket queue - to begin with just doing things like raising yourself up on to your toes and back, or clenching your bum cheeks and holding for 10 seconds x 10 times, all will start to make a difference to your muscles. In your metre in the kitchen you can work up to doing squats and stretches. Do have a look at Joe Wicks PE for kids - he has lots of things you can do 'on the spot' even if you can't to the whole 10 or so different exercises each time.
Have a look at The Active Wellbeing Society too. They are doing all sorts of activities for people to do at home. The recording isn't too professional at times, but the variety of what they are doing is great - I learned some salsa moves in my kitchen the other day, but they do some pretty activie work outs too and also some 'exercises whilst sitting on a dining chair' or Pilates, zumba, - all sorts.
The climbing the stairs idea is fab too.

Do the long walk on the way to nursery. 45 minutes fast walking

Take a look at The Fitness Marshall on You Tube.

Google seated exercises/ chair exercises. I do them at work sometimes and it does boost my weight loss.

Can you give some more information so posters can find a way to help? Do you work? How much overweight are you? Do you have space to lie down on your bedroom floor and move your arms and legs to the sides without hitting things?

You might not be ready to hear this but weight loss really happens in the kitchen. Calorie reduction. Exercise can help but ok it’s own it’s pretty useless in terms of weight loss.

@DangerMouse17

If you can afford £20 a month, get the fiit app. I think first 2wks are free. Its brilliant. Lots of classes and plans.

If you cant afford that, Fitness Blender on youtube.

Fitness Blender is great 👍

Also, exercise doesn’t need to cost a single penny.