How to Keep Fit and Healthy Without Breaking the Bank: 6 Simple Tips to Help You Succeed

How to Keep Fit and Healthy Without Breaking the Bank: 6 Simple Tips to Help You Succeed

This year, 71% of Americans are looking to diet or eat healthier, 65% want to exercise more and 54% plan to shed the extra pounds.

Are these your New Year’s resolutions too?

If yes, you’re probably losing sleep over the costs of staying fit and healthy. Maybe you want to purchase a gym membership, get the latest fitness gear, and hire a personal trainer.

Well, we’re here to tell you good health and fitness doesn’t have to cost a small fortune. Keep reading to learn how to keep fit and healthy on a budget.

Dump the Gym

The benefits of working out at a gym are well-documented. There are a trainer and wide range of fitness equipment at your disposal, and it’s easier to make fitness pals and stay motivated. Plus, there’s just something cool about breaking a sweat in a gym.

However, with the average gym membership costing $58 every month, not many people can afford it in this harsh economic times. And even if you can afford it, is it really the best value for your money?

Jogging around the neighborhood every morning, for instance, is just as effective (if not more) as running on a treadmill. What’s more, you can buy used fitness equipment at throwaway prices and gradually build a well-equipped home gym.

Get a Workout Buddy

With gym membership is off the table, you’ve one option: work out at home.

Although working out from home is a big money saver, it has its fair share of downsides. Finding the energy and motivation to stick to your workout routine is the biggest challenge.

This is why you need to get yourself a workout buddy, preferably one who also works out from home. You’ll share your health and fitness goals and motivate each other along the way. You can also work out together when your schedules allow.

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Another benefit of having a workout buddy is you can use their fitness equipment (if they have a home gym) and even pick an exercise or two from their regimen.

Overlook the Fitness Fashion

We all want to look fashionable when working out, and for good reason. Fitness begins in the mind. If you’re unsatisfied with certain aspects of your workout routine, you can easily become demotivated.

Unfortunately, fitness fashion comes at a premium.

Do you really want to fork out $500+ on the trendiest fitness outfits in the market? It’s in the best interest of your finances to overlook the fashion and put the money to more valuable use, such as buying organic foods.

Look, we’re not saying you should give up your sense of style and rock the cheapest fitness clothes you can find. Spend money on gear that looks good on you, yes, but don’t jump on every latest fitness fashion trend.

Avoid Fad Diets

Fad diets are like get-rich-quick scams. They promise you a shortcut to the life of your dreams but rarely work as advertised.

If you’re looking to lose weight or attain a certain level of physical fitness in a short time, fad diets might appeal to you.

These diets not only put your health in harm’s way (most diets restrict intake of certain groups of foods, cause dehydration and slow down metabolism) but also leave your wallet hurting. Besides the direct cost of purchasing a fad diet, you could end up spending much more should you fall ill as a result.

If you want to keep fit and healthy on a budget, don’t spend your hard-earned money on a fad diet. It doesn’t matter whether the diet plan is backed by scientific research or boasts of huge success rates, stay away from anything that promises radical results.

Prep Your Own Meals

Up to 90 percent of Americans regularly eat fast food.

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If you didn’t already know, fast food is bad for your health and it’s the leading cause of obesity in the country. And, fast food is costly.

Prepping your own meals is an effective way to kick out junk food out your diet. As such, it saves you money and puts you in greater control of your own health. You’ll be able to choose cheaper and healthier food options, such as beans, lentils, oats, and eggs.

Additionally, you can plan meals for an entire week so you won’t have to pass by the grocery store every other day. And if you have space in your backyard, you can start your own vegetable garden.

Jump on Discounts

Who doesn’t love a bargain?

When your goal is to keep fit and healthy on a budget, you should never skip an opportunity to snap up stuff at a discount.

Most online grocery stores, for instance, offer discounts at certain times of the month. Keep an eye on them and develop a habit of purchasing groceries in bulk.

Similarly, online pharmacies often sell prescription drugs at cheaper prices compared to local, brick and mortar outlets. All you need to do is do some online research and find the best pharmacies home and abroad. For instance, you can read Canadian pharmacy reviews to find affordable medications for Americans.

Now You Know How to Keep Fit and Healthy on the Cheap

In a country where the cost of good health care keeps going up, it’s essential to maintain your health and fitness. Although this costs money too, you have the power to keep the costs down. You just need to learn how.

Lucky for you, this article is a complete guide on how to keep fit and healthy without breaking the bank. Put these tips into practice and you won’t be disappointed.

While at it, explore our blog for more health and wellness insights.