Thrifty Girl: 5 Ways to Exercise and Save

Being healthy can be pricy, thank goodness there are some easy ways to save on our healthcare. Yep, you can have your kale and eat it too! Here are five quick and simple tips to save money and stay fit! 

Compare and Save

If you are loving your new gym but crying over the fees, shop around. Many gyms will match the price of their competitors if you bring proof of the discounted amount. There are even some gyms that will match promotions happening at the nearby competitor. The worst that could happen is they refuse and you can choose to stay or switch.. 

Go Digital

Personal trainers can be the best things for our bodies, but tough on our budgets. If your personal trainer is leaving your wallet more sore than your muscles, opt for a digital version instead. There are some great video game options for personal training that are actually good! My favorite has become the Nike Kinect because it tracks your movements so you know what is right and wrong. The Kinect also does fitness evaluations so your workouts are geared towards what results you want and what you need a bit more work on. No, it is not quite as good as your crazy awesome trainer, but trading out trainers a few days a month could give you enough spare change for a night on the town. 

Workout Close to Home... or Work

This tip has two winning features. By working out closer to home/work, we are able to save a massive amount on gas money over the year, but we are also more likely to continue our workout plan. Research has shown that when a gym or fitness area is more than five minutes away, we are 20% less likely to go. Even worse, every five minutes on top of that reduces our chances even more! We can save money by jogging around the neighborhood or going to the nearby gym and be more likely to keep it up. I do like win-win's, especially when it comes to shedding weight and saving money!

Coupons and Such

When we think of sites like groupon.com and plasticjungle.com, we do not usually think of workouts. Mistake. Groupon has deals on group fitness classes that can be up to 70% off, and good. Sites like plasticjungle will give discounts on gift cards to places like Nike and Sports Authority. Check these sites next time you are in the mood for some zumba or that cute pair of running shoes and save up to 70%!

Get Insured to Workout

This little known secret is something that I recently discovered and think most gym members would enjoy knowing... There are many health insurance companies in the great yonder that will give discounts on your monthly bill if you have a gym membership. For real! Contact your insurance provider to see if they are one of these stellar companies. In some cases, the insurance company will actually give a discount equal to the price of your membership. Whoa! Finally, something about insurance that we can smile about!

Valentines Day Gifts For the Health Lovers

Valentines day is a great time to get with that special someone and show them how much you care. Here are my top four Valentines day gifts for the person that enjoys being healthy with prices that won't make you cry. 

Tea Kits

Wether someone has already found a love for tea or is trying to kick coffee like a bad habit, a tea kit is a fun twist on the usually sweets and flowers. Especially considering that some teas have both sweets and flowers. Sites like Teavana, Samovar, and Adagio all have tea kits made specially for Valentines day and 2-day shipping to go along with it! Adagio also has a pretty neat custom blend option available for those creative types to give a gift with a little extra flavor! 

Fit-Bit

The Fitbit is a great gift for that special guy or girl who loves keeping track of their health. This pedometer on steroids lets you know how many calories you have burned in a day along with steps taken, distance climbed, and sleep patterns. Plus, there is  pretty interface to show it all in style! This little goodie comes in three different styles, two that clip to clothing and one wristband that can be pre-ordered now. 

The Fitbit uses a 3D motion sensor altimeter to get a real-life understanding of your daily movements and is now water proof! The waterproof deal is pretty big to me since we have lost two fit-bits to it's water nemesis.  

Nike Kinect Training on XBOX

This twist on a video game is great for a workout and quite fun in the process! The kinect is fantastic at monitoring movements so you know when the exercise is being done right and when we are slacking a bit. Plus, you get a fitness diagnostic along with an uber fit personal trainer. Quite the combination for those video game lovers and health fans!

A Massage

A massage fits so many of the Valentines day gift categories- it is romantic, relaxing, special, and thoughtful. Plus, it will be heaven on earth for those athletic ones with tense, sore muscles. A massage combined with a fun, muscle building activity sounds like the best way I can imagine spending Valentines day! 

5 Adventurous Ways to Spend Valentines Day- Singles Too!

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This week I decided to go against the norm and break our usual Meat Free Mondays tradition. My creative has been a bit lack-luster in the food category since Valentines day is coming and all I can think of is chocolate. Too bad chocolate is already "meat free" or we would be going a little crazy with about 50 different recipes that are the opposite of healthy- maybe it is for the best we aren't, fitness site and all... 

Instead of a food, today we have some great ideas for a non-traditional valentines day. So cancel those reservations at the uber nice, somewhat stuck-up restaurant and DVR your shows, we are going adventuring!

Paddle Boarding

I put this first because this is what I want to do most! Paddle boarding is a great way to relax, see nature, and spend time together- the massive calorie burn is just a little bonus. There are some great paddle board tour companies out there for those who do not wish to go it alone. They do everything from teaching you how to showing you the hidden gems of your local waterways; some are even on groupon right now! Best of all, there are romantic tours that promise sunsets, scenery, and wine. Now that sounds like an adventure done fancy! 

Bungee Jumping 

Take the plunge, both literally and figuratively with this activity! This adrenaline kicking jump is sure make some memories that will not be easily forgotten. There are even natural bungee sites that you hike a few hours to get to. What could be better than getting out of the city for a few hours for a hike, then a leap! I think I would do this on Valentines Day for all the punny jokes alone... Taking the plunge, leap of faith, falling in love, head over heals- they just keep coming! 

Rock Climbing

Ever since I saw 28 Days with Sandra Bullock, I have wanted to rock climb. It is so Sandra Bullock to make rock climbing look like the most adorable and fun way to spend a day. Rock climbing is also a great indoor activity if the outdoor weather is not up to Valentines day par.  There are tons of gyms that offer rock climbing, and even, some that are rock climbing only .

The indoor facilities offer everything from beginner with lessons to advanced crazy-person climbing. Nothing better than learning a new skill with that special someone, or with a group of your friends. There are bound to be a few laughs along the way!

Paint-Balling

If you have a competitive streak, this may be your best date ever. You can paintball one-on-one with that special someone, or get a few friends together for some extra fun!  There are both indoor and outdoor paintball ranges, some offer equipment for rent as well. 

If you are keen on the idea of running and shooting but a bit nervous about going to work with paint in your hair, there are some great laser shooting places too! No, laser shooting is not quite as intense as paint-balling, but you can go to dinner after, instead of home to ice those sores. 

Skiing/Snow Boarding

Hello northern states, do not think I forgot you still have snow on the ground and freezing temperatures! There are some awesome activities for those snow bunnies and they end with cuddling beside a fire and hot cocoa. Score! Two great ways to spend a snowy Valentines day are skiing and snowboarding. These activities are some of my favorite things to do in the snow since you get a massive workout, you get to see pretty snow (Florida does not have that), and hot chocolate is a tradition. Seriously, I can think of very few activities that so easily embody Valentines Day. Cuddling up next to a fire with some hot chocolate noms and that special someone is bound to make anyone happy to have the cold! 

5 Ways to Workout at Home

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Going to the gym or working out outside is not always attainable with the cold, the snow, and our always busy lifestyles. But, that is no reason to skip a day of working out. Here are some quick and simple ways to workout at home that will help get us ready for bikini season before the snow has stopped it’s falling... or it just gets warmer out. 

Yoga

Yoga is one of my weekly home workout go-to’s for a healthy body and relaxed mind. It is wonderful for toning and can help stretch those achy, winter muscles. Different yoga routines can also  help with health issues, stress, digestion, and, even sleep issues. Podcasts like Yogamazing and Yoga Journal have flows for the novice to the expert yogi. These links will take you to their YouTube pages and some of my favorite flows.

Add Planks into a Routine

Planks are one of those wonder workout moves that can be done a handful of different ways and work almost the entire body. Some of of my favorite plank positions include lizard walks, lowered plank, side plank dips, and plank toe rolls. You can even do all of these for a plank-tastic workout! I like to complete a set amount of each with some down dog stretching in between.

Resistance bands

Resistance bands are a great alternative to free weights and much easier to store. Sites like Amazon.com have resistance band bundles that are as inexpensive as $20 and have the weight equivalent of 3 to 202 pounds. Bands do wonders for toning and can be used for many of the same workouts as free weights. Some of my favorite uses for bands are kneel down-chops and x-extensions with resistance bands. These are sure to get your heart pumping and muscles toning!

Get a Routine

Getting in a workout routine is an important part of making sure we workout at home. It can be easy to push back working out until after that show is over or after cleaning out that ridiculously messy closet- procrastination, anyone? Pick specific times and activities to do and stick to this schedule so you don’t inadvertently miss a workout day. If working out is new to you, start with three days, working out every other day of the week. Kick that number up to 4-6 if you are working towards a goal!

Cardio

Surprisingly, we can get a great cardio workout without leaving our home. Having cardio in your weekly routine is great for our shape, but even better for our heart. The American Heart Association recommends getting an increased heart level for at least 30 minutes per day. This can be done at home with things like knee-ups, kick backs, chair kicks, jump rope, sit-ups, push-ups, and so much more! The best part is that none of this takes up a lot of room. So long winter jogging!