25 Great Ways to Get In Shape Without a Gym Membership

9. Find a FitLot 

Live in a concrete jungle? Make it a jungle gym by seeking out a FitLot, an outdoor, public fitness park with equipment for stretches, push- and pull-ups, squats, jumps, chest presses and more. Each fixture is accompanied by instructions for use, and you can watch instructional videos online, too.

The New Orleans-based, AARP-sponsored nonprofit, whose original aim was to repurpose vacant lots post-Hurricane Katrina, also partners with local parks-and-recreation departments to host community circuit-training classes led by trained coaches. Today there are more than 50 FitLots nationwide.

Even without an official FitLot, “park benches and playgrounds can double as fitness equipment for squats, step-ups and push-ups,” says Cedric X. Bryant, an exercise physiologist and president and chief executive officer of the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

10. Garden 

Gardening may seem like a relatively sedentary activity — to people who’ve never tried it. “In order to garden, you are getting up, you’re getting down, you’re squatting, you’re kneeling, you’re having to bend over, you’re having to carry things,” Sundermann says. Even the small hand movements involved can improve your dexterity.

One Australian study, published in Sage Open Medicine,  included 331 gardeners ages 60 to 95 and found that the hobby yielded a host of psychological, physical and social benefits, including a more positive attitude toward aging. Other research has shown that gardening may lower the risk of diabetes, even when compared to people who regularly exercise but don’t garden.

The dirt itself is good for your immune system, research shows. As you dig, Sundermann says, “you are connecting with those microbes and optimizing your gut microbiome.” 

11. Get a nature prescription 

Folks who like to follow doctor’s orders can ask their physician for a “nature prescription” from the nonprofit Park RX America, just as they might ask about a medication they’ve heard advertised on TV. Together, you can settle on a place (say, a waterfront park), activity (try walking or biking), and a frequency and duration (maybe 20 minutes three times a week). “We’re really trying to shift what we think about as therapeutic prescribing away from just pharmaceuticals,” Sundermann says.  

Alternatively, the organization has a prescription form you can fill out yourself — just pick a place (say, a waterfront park), the activity (try walking or biking), and the frequency and duration (maybe 20 minutes, three times a week).

You don’t have to live in the woods for time outside to pay off, Sundermann emphasizes. “This could be walking down a tree-lined street, this could be going to a playground, this could be … just going to a neighborhood park,” she says. “There’s lots of ways to get around nature and move your body.”

12. Run

Ready to pick up the pace? Running is a great way to get your steps in, too. “The more robust you are — work that,” DiPietro says. Just be sure to advance carefully to avoid injury. Try, for example, Olympic runner turned coach Jeff Galloway’s run-walk-run method, which involves warming up before alternating between short stretches of walking and running.

That strategy likely won’t even slow you down. One study found that marathoners who walked for a minute every mile and a half finished the races just a bit behind nonstop runners but felt far less fatigued. Be sure to incorporate plenty of stretching, cross-training and hydration, too. Find out how in 8 Tips for Older Runners.

13. Take a walk through history

For an urban adventure, play tourist in your own city. From St. Augustine, Florida — which typically offers free 90-minute historic tours twice daily — to San Francisco, where free tours of Chinatown take you to that neighborhood’s “living room” and Bruce Lee’s birthplace — organizations like GuruWalk make it easy to meet or exceed your step-count goals at no cost. Find more options in 10 Free City Walking Tours.

Plenty of locales, from Denver to Newport, Rhode Island, encourage you to craft self-guided walking tours, too. Check out your hometown’s (or destination’s) tourism bureau for tips.

14. Follow live or recorded classes online 

Prefer the comfort of your own home? SilverSneakers offers live online classes for eligible members that focus on things like cardio, balance and strength. AARP’s “Senior Planet” also hosts multiple live classes online daily, ranging from functional strength training to chair yoga. AARP has dozens of free fitness videos you can do at home: The AARP Virtual Community Center has free online classes, and AARP members can do a series of free on-demand Pilates videos as well as a series of the best exercises for balance, neck, butt, knees, shoulders and back. Many AARP state offices have free online exercise classes as well. Go to your AARP state website to find them.

Plenty of independent instructors post their videos for those age 50+ to follow. Check out Senior Fitness With Meredith, which is led by a personal trainer who’s worked in a retirement community; HASfit, which offers strength, chair-based and other exercise classes aimed toward older Americans; and SeniorShape Fitness, which is produced by a senior fitness specialist who leads viewers through Pilates, balance and other classes.

Just be sure the instructors you find online are certified by organizations like ACE that are members of the Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals, Bryant says. Choose programs that include modifications and emphasize proper form and safety over intensity. Bryant also recommends reading reviews and watching a preview before diving in. 

15. Go for a swim 

The benefits of moving in water are profound: One study found that older adults who joined one of three 28-week aquatic exercise programs boosted muscle mass, functional fitness and cognitive function more than peers who continued their workout routines on land. It’s also a lot harder to injure yourself while swimming than doing just about any other heart-pumping workout. 

And while you may want a new bathing suit, swim cap and goggles, you might not need to pay for much more: SilverSneakers partners with pool-housing facilities like the YMCA to give adults over age 65 free access through select Medicare plans. You can check your eligibility and find locations near you online. 

Local parks and recreation centers, which often include indoor pools, also tend to offer discounts for people ages 60-plus. For example, NYC Parks charges residents ages 62 and up just $25 a year to access all its centers, about one-third of which include indoor pools. Even better, the system’s seasonal outdoor pools and beaches are free for locals and visitors alike. Like any new activity, Bryant says, “start slow and progress gradually.”

16. Take advantage of free trials

Even virtual exercise programs that charge often offer free trials. Jazzercise, for one, offers a free two-week trial for its on-demand platform, which hosts hundreds of exercise videos and streams at least six live workouts a week. The 10- to 15-minute classes include stretching and strength workouts in addition to traditional dance cardio. (If you like what you see and how you feel, membership is $24.99 a month; it’s less if you spring for the annual option.)

You can also snag a free month’s trial at Vivo, a virtual group strength-training program for anyone in their “second chapter.” Its Zoom classes are capped at eight participants and allow you to see the trainer and your trainer to see you — and provide feedback, too. (After the trial, Vivo charges $99 to $199 per month, depending on how many classes you take.) 

17. Dance

You don’t have to follow a formal program to move your body. Turn on any music that gets you grooving, or check out a free playlist from Jazzercise. Research suggests that any style of dance can boost balance, muscular strength and endurance. Even just attempting to learn a routine can create new pathways in your brain, says certified Jazzercise instructor Emily Newlands.

In one study, researchers compared the benefits of an 18-week endurance and flexibility exercise program with a dance program in which older Americans were taught a new routine each week. While both groups increased the volume of their brain’s hippocampus, which is prone to age-related decline, the dancers had additional growth in subareas associated with neuron growth.

“It doesn’t mean you have to be a good dancer — it just means that you’re trying to follow the choreography,” Newlands says.

18. Snag free or cheap equipment

No home gym? No problem. While all you need for an effective workout is your body weight, a couple of cheap free weights can take it to the next level — at little cost. A couple of 5-pound dumbbells go for as little as $13 online.

“You can do a lot with just dance cardio and free weights,” Newlands says. “So if you’re going to make one purchase, I would say that would be it.” Her second pick: resistance bands, which are often sold in sets of five and can cost less than $10 total. Try these 7 Best Arm Workouts to Get You Stronger.

You may not even have to open your wallet, though: Check out your neighborhood’s BuyNothing group, where someone else’s pandemic-era free weights — if not their treadmill — might need a new home. 

19. Supercharge your chores

Sweeping, washing the dishes, taking out the garbage: It’s all movement that counts. After all, a 150-pound older adult cleaning the house for 20 minutes burns just over 100 calories. 

But you can maximize those benefits by making a few tweaks, DiPietro says. If you’re standing by the sink, try putting a pillow under your feet to promote balance. If you’re brushing your teeth, raise yourself on your toes and “slam down your heels” to support bone density, she suggests. If you’re vacuuming, weave around and step over obstacles to boost proprioception, or your sense of where your body is in space. Doing all of that helps you “become better at processing and reaction time,” which helps with fall prevention, DiPietro explains.

20. Pick up pickleball 

Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in the United States for several years now, and older adults are driving the trend for a reason. Per AARP’s guide to the sport— a mashup of tennis, badminton, racquetball and table tennis — pickleball is simple, makes movement fun, is social and keeps the brain engaged. A 2023 review of research published in Frontiers in Psychology found that playing pickleball was linked to improvements in older adults’ well-being, life satisfaction, depression, stress and happiness.

It can be pretty darn cheap, too: Paddles are usually less than $100, and outdoor courts are often free. Use the website Pickleheads to find a place to play — and people to play with — near you. 

While jumping in with too much enthusiasm but not enough fitness can lead to injury, the benefits of movement overall tend to pay off. As with any new endeavor, “Start easy and you build from there,” DiPietro says. “When people see improvement, they tend to get really motivated.”

21. Active-ate your commute 

If you drive to work — or to church, the drugstore or a friend’s house — consider ways to build in more movement, like parking farther away and walking to your destination, Segar recommends. “People don’t often think about, ‘If I park past where all the parking meters are, I give myself 40 minutes of round-trip movement, and I don’t have to pay,” she says. “That’s pretty cool.” 

Maybe you already take the bus but can get off a stop earlier. Maybe you usually ride the elevator up to your office or when clothes-shopping, but you can take the stairs. If you’re able, consider a bike for getting around, Bryant says: “Many communities have bike-share programs or affordable used bikes. Start with flat, low-traffic areas and build confidence over time.”

Better yet, find a nonprofit in your area like Bike New York, which puts on hundreds of classes and programs geared toward making adults safer and more capable riders.

22. Adopt or foster a dog

The perks of dog ownership go beyond having an unconditionally loyal buddy. “Having a dog naturally encourages more movement,” says Bryant. Some research shows that older adults with dogs walk an average of 22 more minutes a day than non-dog-owners of similar demographics. The pup parents were 12 percent more active in general, too.

What’s more, playing fetch with Fido improves flexibility and reaction time, and canine companionship can reduce stress, increase social interaction and provide a sense of purpose, Bryant adds.

“Even fostering a dog for a short period can introduce more activity into someone’s daily routine while supporting animal shelters,” he says. An even lower-stakes option: Ask a dog-owning neighbor if you can take the pooch for a stroll.

23. Join a team

Did you love playing softball as a kid? Were you a track star as a teen? An intramural sports enthusiast in college? Reignite that competitive spark through many of the team sports clubs catering to older adults. The National Senior Games, for one, is an annual competition for the 50-plus crowd in sports including tennis, powerlifting and cornhole.

Local “masters” groups, meanwhile, tend to organize training sessions and competitions for anyone 35 years and older in sports ranging from water polo to wrestling. (DiPietro plays on her local masters field hockey team.) While many organizations charge for participation, some include recreation fees or practices in a gym, (which again can often be waived through programs like SilverSneakers).

24. Or a group

If you want the camaraderie — but not the competitive edge — of a team, look to Grouper, an organization that fosters friendships around hobbies including bowling, pickleball, golf, and even arts and crafts. Membership is included in many health plans, including Medicare. For less formal group activities, search Facebook, Meetup or Eventbrite for free or low-cost get-togethers around a mutual interest. You might find a gaggle of open-water swimmers in southern Delaware, a mobility and movement class for older adults in San Diego, or a sing-and-move session for older adults over Zoom. “Finding a workout buddy can add motivation and friendly accountability,” Bryant says.

25. Try tai chi or qigong

The virtues of yoga are well advertised, but tai chi and qigong are offer comparable benefits. The ancient Chinese practices, defined by their combination of movements, breathing and meditation, are “great for balance, flexibility and stress reduction, and [are] often available for free in parks or community centers,” Bryant says.

One study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that tai chi may reduce the rate of falls among older adults by more than 50 percent. Another analysis confirmed that the practices improved physical and cognitive health not just because they get blood flowing, but also because the process of “memorizing movements” and “paying attention to meditation” works the brain, the study authors write. Tai chi has also been shown to boost one’s mood and fend off pain.

Find a class near you through the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association, which also offers free online courses, to get started. You can also try AARP’s intro to tai chi with fitness expert Kathy Smith.