Mid-February is generally the time when most New Year’s Resolutions fall apart. You may have started strong in January, but your resolve has probably fizzled by Valentine’s Day. While I don’t know what your specific goals for the new year were, I do know that a majority of New Year’s resolutions have to do with improving physical fitness and losing weight.
If you’re in the get healthier camp, I have a few tips to help you revive your resolutions and set realistic goals — all while saving money.
7 Fitness Goal Revisions That Will Save You Money
1. Don’t renew that gym membership.
If you’ve stopped feeling enthusiastic about working out, or if you’ve been finding excuses to skip heading to the gym, save your money. Start small at home, where fitness is free. Going for a walk or a jog is also free. Once you start seeing results and become motivated again, a gym membership may be a good investment.
2. Don’t buy exercise equipment.
Those late night infomercials may seem like they have the perfect product to get you on track with your fitness goals, but how many of those things do you have serving as clothes racks already? Isometric exercises are often challenging enough for the average person, and they don’t require any special equipment. Soup cans can serve as hand weights, and a kitchen chair can help you perform more advanced exercises. If you’re going to purchase anything, an inexpensive set of exercise bands is adequate for most people to improve strength, range of motion, and flexibility.
3. Invest in fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.
Stop buying processed and convenience foods; spend that money in the produce section instead. If you’re not a fan of dieting, simply eliminating the junk from your meals and snacks will help you lose weight.
4. Drink water.
Not soda pop, not tea, not coffee — water. One serving of coffee, soda, or tea per day is fine, but the rest of your liquid intake should be water. You can get a gallon of spring water for 50 cents – $1, and a two liter of soda pop for around $1.25 (when it’s on sale). What’s the best solution? Get a filter for your kitchen tap, or a water filter to keep in your fridge. Better for your wallet — and the environment.
5. Enlist the help of a friend to help keep you motivated.
If you’re serious about getting healthier this year, make it happen. Don’t waste money on getting fit, then turn around and slouch on your commitment just because no one was there to cheer you on and ask how you’re coming along. Have a friend keep you accountable to the goals you’ve set.
6. Try setting smaller, more realistic goals.
Start with something like, “I will not eat processed foods at supper, and I will drink eight glasses of water today.” When you reach each goal, celebrate your accomplishment to build your confidence and motivation.
7. Don’t buy weight loss supplements.
The sad truth is that fitness takes hard work. Consume less junk and more fresh foods. Move your body more. There are no pills that will allow you to sit on the couch with a bag of potato chips and lose weight. There are no shortcuts, so don’t waste your time or money. If you have a medical condition that contributes to your poor fitness, talk to your doctor about what can be done to manage your health better. It’s not worth it to reach for over-the-counter fixes and empty promises.
What are you doing to maintain your fitness goals without spending more money? Share your tips to help others stay on track this year.
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{ read the comments below or add one }
No taste issues with our tap water, it’s great (in Madrid, Spain). We’ve noticed small black specks in it, though. It might be coming from building pipes, no clue. We live in an apartment building, and we redid our plumbing a few years ago. Far more likely to opt for a filter now, than moving out for a month and tearing up our floors in order to redo the pipes again…
I don’t have any new year resolutions, I just start what I want to do with small steps. I wanted to do yoga this year, and I plan to start doing it by end of Feb. I found some good yoga video on you tube for beginner, and it saves me from buying books and VCDs which I know I wouldn’t use it.
I have heard of a lot of people using video game consoles to stay in shape at home and opting out of gyms. I think that is pretty cool, and you don’t have to leave home.
Not only is tap water cheaper and “just fine,” it’s actually more regulated and safer than bottled water. And much, much, much better for the environment.
As far as a fitness program is concerned: I gave up my gym membership because I didn’t go. I got four paper routes instead. I’ve lost more than twenty pounds in the last year, and THEY PAY ME.
Not everyone can do it, but if you’re a student or a stay-at-home parent, it’s definitely a good financial move.
Before you go spending money on those filters read this:
http://www.h2oc.com/pdfs/Refrigerator.pdf
Seems that tap water is just fine if there are no taste issues.