by Guest-Blogger, Sheila Olson

Staying healthy and active are high priorities for many people. However, when life takes over, it’s easy to let these goals slowly drift away. The same can happen if these priorities cost money.

Either way, whether it’s time or money holding us back, it’s important to find ways to embrace wellness. Below are some health and fitness tips which can work for most anyone’s schedule, without breaking the bank.

Buy In-Season
Being healthy means taking care of your body and eating nutritious foods. According to one of CookingLight magazine’s dieticians, Sidney Fry, MS, RD, depending on your age, gender, and activity levels, you should get anywhere from four and a half cups to six and a half cups of vegetables and fruits each day. Keep in mind, grocery stores usually have specials on produce when it’s in-season. Make it a practice to stock up on these items when you see the sales.

Grow Your Own Food
Another way to save money on fruits and veggies is to grow them yourself. Take lettuce, for example. A head of lettuce at the grocery store is usually $3 to $4. Believe it or not, for less than $2, you can get a pack of seeds and be set for the rest of summer — Imagine that. All you have to do is tend to it, let it grow and then simply snip the leaves when they’re long enough.

Cook
Whether you bring food home from the grocery store or select items from your garden, preparing your own food will always be a better choice versus dining out. There are several reasons for this. You can control what ingredients you use. Meals prepared at home are less processed—not as high in fat, calories, sugar, and sodium. Meals you make at home also give you more bang for your buck, especially if there are leftovers or you’re making a meal to feed several people.

Work Out at Home
No one really needs a gym membership. Of course, it’s nice to use a facility with amenities like a cardio theatre and sauna, but it’s not something you need. Not to mention, if you’re on a budget, gym memberships will generally run you at least $150 a year, and that’s only a starting price. Most range from $400 to $600 annually.

So what can you do if you forego your gym membership? Start by working out at home or outside. Go for a run, or stream fitness videos from the Internet. The options are almost endless. You can put together your own gym by purchasing home fitness equipment. A treadmill, free weights, a balance ball, and a kettlebell are just a few bare essential items which can help you with a variety of workouts. The goal is to strike a balance between cardio and strength training exercises. You generally need to do these kinds of workouts about two to three times a week.

Rest
This piece of advice can take on many forms. In regard to your fitness routine, you want to shoot for about two rest days per week. Simply put: Your muscles and body need time to repair. Unfortunately, they aren’t able to do this if exercising is on the agenda every day.

This also ties into sleep. Your body needs about seven to eight hours every night. An adequate amount of sleep relaxes both your muscles and mind. Research also suggests it helps to keep you from getting sick. If you choose to consistently cut back on your sleep time, you automatically increase your chances for catching a cold and put yourself at a higher risk for infections, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.

Bottom line: There are several ways to stay in shape and take care of your health without breaking the bank or requiring all of your spare time. Use these tips as a starting point. Be happy and healthy!

Photo credit: Pixabay

About Sheila:
Sheila Olson has been a personal trainer for over five years. She believes the best way to achieve physical fitness and good health is to set and tackle small goals.

She encourages her clients to stay positive, and she incorporates mindfulness practices into her sessions. She finds this helps clients reduce the internal, negative self-talk. She also encourages balance regarding fitness goals.
She created FitSheila.com to spread the word about her fitness philosophy.

Thanks for reading.
Be Well.