Recent economic struggles have prompted those who are health conscious to look for alternative ways to exercise for free.

For those who are searching, they don’t have to look very far. Everything they seek for fitness surrounds them.

Even though most people are struggling financially, the want and need to stay fit and remain healthy.

However, it may be difficult for some to pay for a gym membership or a personal trainer.

Athletic Specialist Carolyn Biedler suggests taking nature walks.

“P.V.(Palos Verdes) has nice nature walks,” and Palos Verdes also has a bicycle trail but it’s more for the experts,” Biedler said.

“When the weather is bad (I use) my cable. It has an exercise channel that I utilize every night,” Biedler said.

EC’s athletic director Michael Fenison along with Biedler, are both avid swimmers.

They swim two to three times per week.

Students like, Charles Green, who is an athlete, also had some great advice.

“If anyone can get to the beach or the sand dunes, they can run,” Green said.

While Green does have a personal trainer, he still works out on his own by doing at least 60 push-ups every night.

Aside from exercising being free, there are more benefits that alternative means of exercise may elicit.

For example, you can push yourself without the help of others, Green said.

“You can have fun because no one is there to judge you”, Green said. “(That) it builds independence, mental toughness, that’s a big thing.”

Lastly, free exercise may allow a person their desired workout pace without distractions or pressure to “keep up.”

It also eliminates any insecure feelings of exercise in a gym setting.

If one is able to even bump their budget up a bit, there are also inexpensive alternative ways to exercise like, playing basketball, boxing, jump roping and even dancing.

Collectively, students and athletic officials have suggested core workout exercises that should be in everyone’s routine regiment.

Some say a few minutes of stretching, pull-ups, sit-ups and stomach crunches or any type of cardiovascular activity, like running, are all essential to a full and beneficial workout.

“If the person did a good amount of push-ups and sit-ups every morning and night, it wouldn’t be possible to not see improvement,” Matt Simms, 20, liberal studies major, said.

Charles Wolfgramm, 20, undecided major, said that what he does is push-ups, sit ups, doing at least a set of 25 each, jumps rope and he squats in place with no weights.

“I do a set of push-ups, a set of sit-ups and jog a of couple miles, then I am done for the day,” Wolfgramm said.

To get a good workout at EC, Wolfgramm also runs the entire stadium and does laps on the track as well.

In an effort to help yourself to obtain a great workout, why not have fun? If you have a game system like the Wii, Biedler suggests that Wii Fit gives a god workout.

Simms said he believes that the only real work-out that a person really needs are push-ups and sit-ups since it works out the core of your body strength.

Though Simms said you do not need to do hours of working out a day.

“From what I have learned, most people don’t have to be very active if working a 9 to 5 you really only need 30 minutes to workout,” Simms said.

“When I was young, I did a lot of push-ups and sit-ups because it’s all about your core body strength,” Simms said.

However, to reap the benefits of such a workout, it is also important to be consistent in your efforts as you strive to be mentally and physically well.

Exercising requires much time and dedication to enhance your self image.

If the gym is not a option, you can do just as many exercises at home and receive almost the same results.