Staying healthy during the winter is a challenge at the best of times. You’re combating both cold weather and flu season, and it’s hard to find the motivation and money to take good care of yourself.
Staying fit and healthy doesn’t have to be expensive. We’re here to talk about how you can keep healthy without breaking the bank. Read on for a few top tips.
Visit Your Physician
One of the best things that you can do for your body when it comes to staying healthy during the colder months is to make sure that you’re visiting your doctor and dentist for routine visits.
Make sure that you’re taking care of your healthcare needs overall. Visit your doctor for routine visits so they can catch any potential problems before they become serious.
You have the benefit of affordable health care, so don’t be afraid to take advantage of it when it’s possible to do so. You’ll stay healthier without breaking your budget.
Avoid Stress When Possible
Did you know that stress has a negative impact on your immune system?
When you’re feeling too stressed out, your body sends signals to the endocrine system. These signals tell your body to prepare for an emergency but weaken your immune system overall.
Because most modern stress doesn’t stem from a serious emergency, your body is making itself more susceptible to illness. This means that colds, flu, or any other illness could be more problematic.
Avoiding stress isn’t easy when we’re in the middle of a pandemic, and most of us have fast-paced lifestyles and heaps of responsibilities. You should still do your best to mitigate stress whenever possible.
Try to make time for self-care. Engage in activities that you enjoy, and consider giving yourself an at-home spa day or relaxation session every so often so you can return to your busy life feeling refreshed and renewed.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider talking to a counselor. Many counselors offer telehealth solutions for people who have busy schedules.
Wash Hands Often
Now more than ever, it’s important that you’re being consistent with your handwashing. Make sure to keep hand sanitizer on hand and wash your hands whenever you use the restroom, clean your home, or touch surfaces that may harbor bacteria.
Washing your hands is a free way to avoid infections and illness. It will also help protect others.
Wear a Mask
In many Asian countries, wearing a mask when you’re sick has been commonplace for a long time. Now that more people are doing it as a result of the pandemic, it’s becoming more common for people to avoid even standard illnesses like colds or the flu.
Masks aren’t perfect. You can still get sick while you’re wearing one. It will, however, lessen your chance of contracting (or passing on) a serious illness.
Masks are affordable and readily available (more so now than ever). Keep yourself and the people around you healthy by covering your nose and mouth!
Set Actionable Goals
If you want to set health and fitness goals for the new year, you’re in good company. Many people set intentions and resolutions to improve their health. Many also fail because their goals aren’t actionable.
When you’re setting goals for yourself, make sure that you can measure them to track your progress. The goal of “losing weight” isn’t as helpful as a goal that says “lose 10 pounds by June.” You can measure the second one.
You should also make sure that you’re setting goals for the right reasons. While it’s fine to have aesthetic goals, remember that you should be trying to get healthier, not just “look better” (whatever that means to you).
Write down your goals in a planner and track them. Whether you want to lose weight, run longer distances, get stronger, or even just stick to a healthier diet, you want to be able to know when you’re getting off track.
Keep Your Diet in Check
If you want to maintain a healthy weight, a strong immune system, and a strong body overall, make sure that you’re eating well. You want to get enough vitamins and nutrients from your diet, so do your best to avoid excess processed and fast food.
Many Canadians order food at least once per week. If you’re on a budget, this isn’t a good idea. Here are a few tips for eating healthy and saving money at the grocery store.
Check Weekly Grocery Ads and Coupons
Many grocery stores have weekly ads and personalized online coupons so that their customers can save money. Take advantage of this by browsing ads and coupons from multiple grocery stores before you go shopping.
There’s nothing wrong with taking trips to several stores if it allows you to save money (though you should factor in the cost of gas).
Frozen Food Is Still Healthy
Many people think that you have to buy fresh produce to get health benefits. This isn’t true. Frozen food has most of the vitamins and nutrients that fresh food has.
Frozen vegetables might not seem as tasty, but during the winter months, you’re in luck. Frozen vegetables are perfect additions to soups and stews. Buy your vegetables at a fraction of the price of fresh produce by visiting the freezer aisle of your local grocery store.
Buy Simple Foods
Most of the time, the healthiest foods are the simplest ones. Plain fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans are great for your body, and they’re easy to cook with.
Many grocery stores have bulk bins where you can buy simple foods and pay by weight. This is almost always a more affordable option than buying pre-packaged foods.
Beans, rice, and eggs are simple and affordable. Your diet doesn’t have to revolve around them, but they’re great for cheap and tasty meals.
Healthy Home Exercises: Tips and Recommendations
If you don’t want to pay for a gym membership and it’s too cold to go outside, what are you supposed to do when it comes to exercise? Exercise is another way to boost your immune system, but it might seem more difficult without gym equipment.
You don’t need an expensive gym membership to get healthy at home. Here are a few tips.
Use Online Resources
It’s easier than ever to find online resources for exercise. Plenty of “fitness gurus” and even qualified personal trainers have put out online content to help people who are working out at home during the pandemic. Take advantage of these resources.
There are videos and guides for people of every fitness level and who have any type of fitness interest. Whether you’re trying to improve your cardiovascular health, trying to build muscle, or just interested in getting more flexible, you have options.
Consider starting with online yoga and pilates videos, or simple dance videos. These will get you moving, and they’re gentle enough for beginners.
There are plenty of websites that offer free content, like Fitnessblender. You can search for videos based on your interest, equipment, and fitness level.
You can even find accountability partners online so you can stay on top of your workouts!
Do You Need Equipment?
You do not need equipment to stay fit and healthy at home.
Most people can reach a reasonable level of functional fitness through bodyweight exercises. You can do them from your own living room. The only thing that you need is adequate space.
If you choose to buy equipment, there are affordable options. Adjustable dumbbells, yoga mats, and fitness bands are great, and they’re often available secondhand.
Don’t feel limited because you don’t have workout equipment.
Get Outside When Possible
If the weather is appropriate, it’s a good idea to get outside when you’re able to do so. Even bundling up and taking a walk through your neighborhood is good exercise, and you’ll have exposure to vitamin D. Consider grouping up with friends or family members and going for a nature walk.
If you’d like to do something a bit more fun, why not try ice skating? This beautiful sport is accessible and great for people of all ages!
Let Yourself Rest
Rest is one of the most important things when it comes to staying healthy. Sleeping is free.
Getting enough sleep is good for your mental health, your immune system, and your ability to recover from workouts. You’ll feel better if you get anywhere between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night.
Keep Healthy on a Budget With These Tips
Staying fit and healthy during the winter isn’t easy, especially when you’re trying to save money. You can keep healthy from home without spending a fortune if you try these tips.
Exercise from home, rework your nutrition, learn how to grocery shop on a budget, get enough sleep, and make sure to do your best to avoid spreading or contracting a cold, the flu, or worse.
Are you struggling with your finances? At Credito, we want to help you. We can offer you a quick loan when you need it most.
Apply online or over the phone today.