4 Ways to Stay Fit and Healthy Inexpensively

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Add up the average health center’s membership fee, the net value of every exercise equipment and apparel you have, and the prices of healthy foods and beverages. You’ll then realize that all of them may cost you half your paycheck or more.

Getting fit and staying healthy doesn’t come cheap, as expected. In fact, the overall cost of them can be an essential factor why people quit training, wouldn’t even want to start working out or choose to eat junk food. Even so, you can still stay fit and healthy even in a tight budget. Here are four ways:

Walking

Staying fit doesn’t always need vigorous exercises. A brisk walk can make a difference in your health already. Needless to say, walking is the most inexpensive and simplest way to stay in shape. Hundreds of studies had already proved how healthy walking is. It’s been associated with weight loss, blood sugar control, blood pressure reduction, and stress management.

A proper walking technique is required to turn your simple walk into a fitness stride. It requires proper posture and movements. Mayo Clinic has listed the following steps as the ideal way to walk and eventuallyGetting fit and staying healthy doesn’t come cheap, as expected.

In fact, the overall cost of them can be an essential factor why people quit training, wouldn’t even want to start working out or choose to eat junk food. Even so, you can still stay fit and healthy even in a tight budget. Here are four ways to maintain fitness:

1. Heads up and look forward.
2. Relax your neck, shoulders, and back.
3. Freely swing your arms, where your arms are slightly bent.
4. Straighten your back, not arched backward nor forward.
5. Tighten your stomach muscles as normal as you can.
6. Walk smoothly.

A 30-minute walk is recommended to obtain all the health benefits of walking. Even so, not everyone has the time for this, not to mention those people with hectic schedules. Do at least a daily three-minute walk every day, according to studies. In general, the longer you walk (with proper posture, of course), the more calories will be burnt.

Walking improves and protects our natural resources and living environment, as well. It plays a significant role in lessening the production of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and other pollutants generated from vehicles. Consequently, people can enjoy cleaner air, which, in turn, provides a myriad of health benefits.

Create Personal Workout Equipment

Going to the gym is undoubtedly expensive, so as installing a home gym. As alternatives, we usually opt for doing bodyweight exercises, calisthenics, and other workout routines, like jumping ropes and jogging. The thing is doing these always may sound monotonous and boring for other people.

Don’t sweat it, though. You can always rely on your things at home. For instance, water or detergent bottles and the like are typically customized weights. For beginners, soup cans filled with ample amount of water or rock salt are the best substitute to shape your biceps and triceps.

Additionally, listed here are other do-it-yourself exercise equipment or alternatives recommended by 12 Minute Athlete:

• Heavy bags, heavy books, or basket/volleyballs for weighted medicine balls
• Stairs or bench for plyo box
• Towels for pull up bar
• Sturdy chairs, table or countertop for dip bar
• Victorem pull-up assist band will help you get in a thorough workout no matter where you are.

There’s no question that these alternatives are way cheaper than any gym memberships or home gym installation. What’s more, it’s one way to motivate yourself not to skip your daily workout. You can never use the excuse ‘I don’t have access to any gym equipment’ anymore because anything around you can be your workout partner.

Take Meat off Your Plate

Meat is undoubtedly a source of protein. However, overconsumption of it has been linked to many health disorders. According to Bustle, these health issues include dehydration,  headaches, fatigue, body odor, bad breath, increased risk of vision loss, weakening bones, and constipation and gut issues.

Further, a study conducted at the University of California claimed that meat has a natural sugar called Neu5Gc, which can’t be easily digested by our body. When not digested, this foreign agent (our body doesn’t have this sugar) can prompt a toxic reaction in our body, causing you to fall sick.

You can opt for non-meat protein sources. These foods are more inexpensive yet safer than meat. EatingWell enumerated some of the top vegetarian protein sources in one post, which are as follows:

• Almonds – 3g per ½ oz
• Beans – 4g of protein per 1⁄ 4cup
• Chia seeds – 3 g of protein per tbsp
• Cottage cheese – 14g of protein per 1⁄2 cup
• Edamame (shelled) – 5g of protein per 1⁄4 cup
• Eggs – 6g of protein each
• Green peas – 8g of protein per cup
• Greek yogurt – 23g of protein per cup
• Hemp seeds – 4g of protein per tbsp
• Lentils (cooked) – 4g of protein per 1⁄4 cup
• Peanut butter – 3.5g of protein per 1 tbsp
• Quinoa (cooked) – 8g of protein per cup

EAS 100% Whey Protein

In addition to protein sources, whey protein is one of the most consumed supplementations around the world. The U.S. Dairy Export Council reported that there are demographic groups that drive the global demand for whey protein. These are:

1. Health-conscious adults and seniors. Whey protein is considered as an essential ingredient in most of their healthy-aging-oriented beverages in Japan, South Korea, and China.
2. Infants and toddlers. People from Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Vietnam, China, and other countries add whey protein in their children’s nutrition formula, especially for those mothers who are having a hard time breastfeeding.
3. Middle-class fitness enthusiasts. Whey protein for muscle building and improving  athletic performance are well-known across the Middle East and even in Southeast Asia.

Also, its demand has something to do as to why whey protein is getting more expensive nowadays. However, here’s the thing. EAS is a company that distributes inexpensive whey protein but mind you; it’s safe. A 2-pound tub of eas whey protein can provide 21 servings, which only costs around $20! That’s less than a dollar (.95 ¢) per serving or about 3.17 ¢/gram of protein. Other products have the same benefits but would cost more.

Furthermore, every micronutrients and macronutrient can be taken from eating healthy foods. Despite this idea, there are still other people who need dietary supplementation because their bodies can’t naturally absorb the necessary nutrients from the food they eat. Hence, supplementation is needed to fill one’s nutritional gap.

Takeaway

Being in a tight budget shouldn’t be a reason why you shouldn’t continue or even start working out. It’s not even a reason why you’ll settle for junk and fast foods. It’s still cheaper to cook your own food.