It is my opinion that paying for a gym membership, no matter where you live in the world, is one of the worst wastes of money imaginable. Here in Japan is no different. In the last year I have utilized my own surroundings, and incorporated some simple exercises that have helped to shed 25 kilos. And I did this all with little to no cost.

The secret: walking. Walking daily. Walking everywhere. My employer reimburses me for my daily commute using public transportation. They do this regardless of if you use it or not. So I cut my public transport use in half by walking the first leg of my commute every morning and afternoon. (35 min each time) I avoid the crush of people on the morning tram ride and am able to pocket about 10,000 Yen on transportation fees.

This walk is relatively flat, so to compensate, each afternoon/evening I take another brisk walk up Asahiyama. It has a nice paved course and a steep enough incline to get the blood moving. I pretty much do this rain, snow, sleet or shine. It’s a year round thing.

But walking is only part of the equation. Each morning and afternoon I do a Perfect Pushup routine that is simple and consistent. This product is compact (I’ve packed it on trips abroad), and really helps to isolate muscles and lock your wrists in place. It’s done wonders for my strength training.