Most people want to achieve two goals in life. This is to live a financially independent life while staying on top of their health and fitness goals. The problem is, many of us believe that a healthy and active lifestyle is actually more expensive. It can be hard to live a cheap life when you need to pay for additional stuff just to achieve your fitness goals. But in reality, even the most frugal people are able to meet their objectives.
But What Do Your Finances Have to Do With Your Fitness?
Money is usually the main stress trigger for everyone. When you lack the money to finance your daily needs, you fail to treat yourself with the best things in life. This causes changes in your cortisol hormone, which is responsible for stress.
When people get stressed out, many things happen inside the body. Your heart rate will elevate, your blood sugar can increase, and your blood pressure goes up. Prolonged stress can pave to serious health conditions, which can stop you from staying on top of your fitness goals.
When we get stressed out, the body tends to send varying signals as a way of coping with stress. Some people go on a binge-eating when stressed out. Others find it hard to go out and exercise while others have it the other way around by over-exercising.
Prolonged stress does the mind and body no good. You can end up getting weak, which renders you with less energy necessary to use your gym membership. You will find it difficult to motivate yourself to exercise and even cause other health conditions.
Managing Finances for Better Fitness
It is important to realize that how your finances can influence your fitness. One doesn’t necessarily need to have the most expensive gym membership just to stay fit and healthy. There are a lot of things you can do so you can start financing your fitness goals without breaking your budget.
Rethink Your Expenses Back Home
What makes up your monthly expenses? For most people, this is their rent or mortgage. The more money you spend on your home, the higher your monthly expenses tend to be.
When you spend too much on your home that does not necessarily fit your budget, then it becomes a must that you rethink your costs. For one, you have the option to refinance your mortgage rate with the best lender. Cutting down your monthly mortgage and reducing your interest rates can help you reduce your monthly costs.
The same goes for your other expenses. Think of the things you pay for but don’t really need or use. This can be a subscription to a video streaming app or even that monthly gym membership you never utilize.
Focus on the Free Things
There are lots of free stuff out there that can help you reach your fitness objectives without spending a dime. For instance, the internet offers millions of videos showing you exactly what kind of exercises you can follow. Whether your goal is to lose weight or just to tone your muscles, you don’t necessarily need to hire a personal trainer or go to the gym just to exercise.
Instead of the treadmill, do brisk walking or jogging outdoors. Instead of weights, you can use simple items at home to lift some weights. You can even take your old bike out and use this to run errands instead of wasting gas just to buy a few items at the supermarket.
The trick is to utilize free stuff instead of having to pay for everything. This shows that you don’t necessarily need to spend money just to stay active. Use your creativity and you can stay fit without spending a dime.
Turn Ordinary Moments as a Chance to Stay Active
Ordinary chores can translate to light exercises. You are already working out by doing your daily tasks. But you can always take chores to the next level by incorporating exercise as you go.
For instance, you can consider drying out your clothes out in the sun instead of using your clothes dryer. You get to lower your energy usage and use the time to wring out wet clothes, carry them, and hang them in your clothesline. Instead of ordering take-out, cook your own meals so you can pick out the right ingredients and work out those arm muscles.
Instead of paying a dog walker to walk your pooch, choose to do this with your pet. They will appreciate more bonding moments with you while you get rid of the dog walker’s paycheck. Instead of having your pet’s food and pet products delivered to your home, say yes to the extra exercise and get rid of the unnecessary delivery fee.
Living a healthy and active lifestyle does not necessarily need to be a financial burden. There are many things you can do to ensure you get enough exercise each day without the unnecessary costs. Managing your finances can help you attain better health, which will then give you the energy to stay active. It is time you stop making excuses about an active lifestyle being expensive and start using your creativity to stay fit without breaking your bank.
