Getting fit and healthy should be something everyone knows they should do, but more than that, it should be something everyone knows they can do. The problem is that some of the things needed to become healthier are just too expensive, or at least difficult to justify when there are so many other things to pay for. Gym membership and fancy exercise equipment cost money, and healthy food often costs more, for example, which is why it’s often easier and cheaper to stick to unhealthy habits instead.
The good news is that there are ways to get healthy on a budget so you don’t have to over-extend yourself in terms of finances, and you can still get the benefits of a healthier lifestyle. With that in mind, here are some things you can do.
Exercise For Free
If you want to get healthy, there’s one thing you’re definitely going to need to do, and that’s exercise. You can’t just exercise once in a while and expect results, though; you need to exercise regularly, meaning you need to exercise at least once every couple of days for at least 30 minutes at a time.
As we said, going to the gym can cost hundreds every year, not to mention it’s going to cost you something to actually get there, whether you take the bus or have to pay for fuel. But what if you could exercise for free? Well, you can! Take a look on YouTube and similar sites, and you’ll find that there are plenty of absolutely free exercise videos you can follow in the comfort of your own home – not only will it cost you nothing, but you don’t have to go anywhere either, so you can fit in some exercise whenever you have a spare moment.
Other free exercises include a simple walk, jog, or run around the block, or a walk in the park – there might even be some free exercise equipment there you can use.
Quit Smoking
If you’re currently a smoker, you might be surprised when you add up all the money you’re spending on cigarettes – it’s sure to be a lot and potentially quite a shocking amount that would be useful for other things. That means that if you quit smoking, you’ll save a lot of money, and because smoking is so bad for your health, you’ll be healthier too – it’s an ideal thing to do.
Or rather, it would be an ideal thing to do if it were easy, but the fact is that smoking is an addiction, and it’s not easy at all to quit. Some people use pure willpower, and knowing that their lungs will start to clear just 24 hours after their last cigarette is enough, but for most, the addiction is much stronger, so they need some extra help. Vaping could be the answer. If you get some vapes and enough E liquid, this could be a great substitute for cigarettes and help you to cut down on how much you smoke. Gradually replace your tobacco products with vapes and then cut everything out altogether, and your wallet and health will thank you.
Just Drink Water
Staying hydrated is the key to being healthy – or one of the many keys, at least, but even if you think you’re drinking enough, the fact is that you might not be unless you’re only drinking water (or mostly drinking water).
It’s always going to be more tempting to drink soda or coffee or even alcohol, but although these things might taste good and quench your thirst initially, in reality, they’re not actually doing much for your body (and with the amount of sugar in soda and the fact that alcohol is technically a poison, you can see what the issue is), and after a while, you’ll just get more and more dehydrated. That leads to sickness and lack of energy, which has a knock-on effect on everything else you do.
If you switch from these unhelpful drinks to water, you’ll find your body can function better, and you’ll feel a lot more awake and healthy. Your skin and hair will improve too, so that’s an extra bonus. And why is water great when you want to get healthy on a budget? It’s because it’s free! Yes, you can buy bottles of water in the grocery store, but that’s expensive and bad for the environment. It’s best to use the free water from your kitchen sink and use a refillable water bottle to take out and about with you. In that way, you’ll always have enough to drink, and you won’t have to keep spending money.
