An affordable alternative to a gym membership?

Good health, a key component of prosperity for me, requires regular exercise. I created a walking/hiking program that worked for me - until an old foot injury made me realize I needed to do something non-weight bearing for awhile. Swimming was the first thought so I went to price a membership at a local gym with a great pool. It was somewhat affordable, but I hesitated because I don't have a good history of actually using a gym once I join.

Following my own policy of not buying on impulse, I invoked my 48 hour rule (wait for two days to see if I really want to purchase something). In the meanwhile, I found a DVD I had purchased last summer called "Sit Down and Tone Up" from the Chair Dancing Series. I did the program which is more challenging than it first appeared. At the end were promotional blurbs for others in this series. I discovered that I could buy an aerobic one and a Yoga one - none of which required weight bearing.

So here's what I did (after 48 hours, of course). I purchased two new DVD's so I will have access to aerobic exercise, yoga and strength training without any impact of my foot. Together they cost far less than a month at the gym. I plan to use these for the month of August and, if I feel that they provide the exercise I want, skip the gym. If not, then I'll pay the membership fee to the gym and start swimming. Given that I don't want to commit to a monthly expenditure plus the fee, I have great motivation to make the DVD's work for me!

Keep checking back and I'll update you on my progress.