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Maintain Your Physical Wellness Without Sacrificing Financial Fitness
Published on 7/27/2022
Staying physically fit is easy in theory, but the expense of healthy groceries and gym memberships is often a deal breaker when trying to stay financially fit. It frequently feels like you must choose between a healthy lifestyle that entails high expenses or a significantly less healthy lifestyle that is easier to fit within your budget. Fortunately, there are many ways to have the best of both worlds, it just requires some creativity. That’s why we’ve compiled a handful of budget-friendly suggestions to help you reach your physical and financial fitness goals.
Get Fit
While it would be much easier to workout if we all had a state-of-the-art gym to access, the truth of the matter is that having a membership for a gym or group fitness classes does not always fit into our budget. In some instances, you could be looking at upwards of $150 a month for certain classes. Paying such a steep price for our physical health is not always a viable option, but there are still many ways to get moving without devoting such a large amount of money per month to fitness classes.
Find ways to walk. Unless you live in a big city where walking is a primary mode of transportation, there is a good chance you do not walk as much as you could. Many health studies have suggested that walking roughly 10,000 steps a day can improve your physical health. There are many ways to add additional walking into your daily routine. Taking an evening stroll after dinner is a great way to wind down after a busy day. Grab a friend or download your favorite podcast to give yourself something to look forward to on your walk. Furthermore, you can add steps throughout your day by parking farther in the parking lot, giving yourself ten-minute walking breaks during your workday, and more.
Turn to YouTube for guidance. While paying for in-studio classes may not be cheap, there is a solution to give you the structured, guided workout that you’re looking for with no cost. There is a plethora of fitness gurus on YouTube that post videos ranging anywhere from a quick ten-minute sweat session to a full body, hour long workout. Whether your preference is Yoga, Pilates, HIIT, or more, there is a good chance you can find what you are looking for with a quick YouTube search.
Get Fed
The unfortunate truth when it comes to healthy eating is that a four-dollar drive-thru meal is significantly more affordable than a grocery store haul of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. This is often why so many of us turn to unhealthy foods to fuel our bodies. However, there are a few tricks to consider when trying to eat healthy while on a tight budget.
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, don’t buy in bulk. Once hit with motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is easy to get carried away at the grocery store. We often forget how quickly fresh produce can go bad, and we tend to buy more than we can consume in that short amount of time. Not only does this create food waste, but it also spikes our weekly grocery bill. Before heading to the store, make notes on your shopping list of how much you assume you’ll need for each item and stick to that number.
Find the freezer section. Buying fresh produce is often the first avenue we go down when on a path toward healthy eating. With that said, we easily forget about frozen products. A frozen bag of blueberries, spinach, or pineapple to throw into our smoothies is still equally nutritional, but it is often cheaper than these same products when bought fresh. Buying frozen is also a great way to avoid food waste, as these items typically have a longer shelf life than fresh produce. Overall, maintaining your health is possible on a budget; it simply requires creative thinking and commitment to your wellness goals.
Get Fit
While it would be much easier to workout if we all had a state-of-the-art gym to access, the truth of the matter is that having a membership for a gym or group fitness classes does not always fit into our budget. In some instances, you could be looking at upwards of $150 a month for certain classes. Paying such a steep price for our physical health is not always a viable option, but there are still many ways to get moving without devoting such a large amount of money per month to fitness classes.
Find ways to walk. Unless you live in a big city where walking is a primary mode of transportation, there is a good chance you do not walk as much as you could. Many health studies have suggested that walking roughly 10,000 steps a day can improve your physical health. There are many ways to add additional walking into your daily routine. Taking an evening stroll after dinner is a great way to wind down after a busy day. Grab a friend or download your favorite podcast to give yourself something to look forward to on your walk. Furthermore, you can add steps throughout your day by parking farther in the parking lot, giving yourself ten-minute walking breaks during your workday, and more.
Turn to YouTube for guidance. While paying for in-studio classes may not be cheap, there is a solution to give you the structured, guided workout that you’re looking for with no cost. There is a plethora of fitness gurus on YouTube that post videos ranging anywhere from a quick ten-minute sweat session to a full body, hour long workout. Whether your preference is Yoga, Pilates, HIIT, or more, there is a good chance you can find what you are looking for with a quick YouTube search.
Get Fed
The unfortunate truth when it comes to healthy eating is that a four-dollar drive-thru meal is significantly more affordable than a grocery store haul of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. This is often why so many of us turn to unhealthy foods to fuel our bodies. However, there are a few tricks to consider when trying to eat healthy while on a tight budget.
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, don’t buy in bulk. Once hit with motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is easy to get carried away at the grocery store. We often forget how quickly fresh produce can go bad, and we tend to buy more than we can consume in that short amount of time. Not only does this create food waste, but it also spikes our weekly grocery bill. Before heading to the store, make notes on your shopping list of how much you assume you’ll need for each item and stick to that number.
Find the freezer section. Buying fresh produce is often the first avenue we go down when on a path toward healthy eating. With that said, we easily forget about frozen products. A frozen bag of blueberries, spinach, or pineapple to throw into our smoothies is still equally nutritional, but it is often cheaper than these same products when bought fresh. Buying frozen is also a great way to avoid food waste, as these items typically have a longer shelf life than fresh produce. Overall, maintaining your health is possible on a budget; it simply requires creative thinking and commitment to your wellness goals.