I have felt my fitness levels falling over the past few years. With a busy life and a desk bound job it is sometimes hard to find the motivation and energy for a lot of exercise. I do practise yoga but I could do with exercising a lot more.
A new leaf
So today I have turned over a new leaf and am resolved to get fit again! I don’t want to spend money on a gym membership at the moment so it will be DIY exercise and frugal health and fitness at Shoestring Cottage.
Running is no good for me (got dodgy knees) so I have decided to do workouts at home. I started with this one in Women’s Health. The press ups nearly killed me so I clearly have some work to do. I also used the weights I bought in Aldi in the new year to tone my arms.
Some yoga stretches topped it off and I felt great after. I am going to repeat this workout three or four times a week.
I went for a 20 minute brisk walk at lunchtime and will repeat this three times a week as well.
Healthy eating
In addition I am cutting the carbs and eating really healthily. Today I ate porridge with fruit for breakfast, an egg salad with vegetable soup for lunch and fish with a vegetable stir fry for dinner. I am eating whatever I like as long as it is healthy. I have also snacked on nuts, yogurt and fruit. None of these foods are very expensive and easily fit into my frugal health and fitness regime.
I have found some inspiration on Instagram from @healthybyfifty (pictured). She is a 47 year old super fit wonder woman. The workouts she does would finish me off I think! Still, if she can do what she does I am sure I can go a long way to improving my fitness. Perhaps I will aim to do this in a slightly less dramatic way.
One of the things I like about her is that she exercises in her back yard with minimal equipment, rather than a fancy gym. She wasn’t overweight to begin with. However, you can see the cellulite has melted away and her muscle definition has improved hugely. I will probably never be so determined to be super fit as she is, but I will keep an eye on her anyway when I need some motivation.
What do you do to stay fit and healthy? Can you get fit without spending a fortune and what are your tips for frugal health and fitness?
Julia says
I read posts like this and hope to absorb the diet and fitness results remotely! 😀
Did you see “How to Stay Young” last week? Part 2 is on Wednesday 9.00pm BBC1. They measured participants “Body Age” which was quite an eye-opener. After a 12-week programme, of mostly diet and exercise, they measured again to see the difference.
It wasn’t just those bad habits that were the culprit though. For some of the participants last week it was also stress or lack of sleep that was aging them prematurely. The negative impact those can have on our well-being is often overlooked in favour of the Big Two (diet & exercise).
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Yes, I watched that. Very interesting!
Eloise (thisissixty.blog) says
I am a member of a gym aimed at women (only) age 40+. For me it is far more than just a gym as we have a nice coffee lounge where I meet up with other members, some of whom have, over the seven years that I’ve been a member, become friends. I know that I can drop in at any time and there will always be someone I know there. The coffee is free, as are selected exercise classes which can be taken in addition to using the gym circuit. I paid £25 when I first joined for life membership which means that my fees are fixed for as long as I stay a member, and I reckon that my monthly fee of £26 is brilliant value as I attend, on average, 12 times a month.
I have tried exercising at home; the intention is always good. But I fail.
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Wow! That sounds excellent!
Niki says
I practice yoga fairly often, try and do a brief jog once a week, workout with the bodycoach on you tube and have a selection of Davina DVD s, I have some weights and do it all at home…it’s cheap and it works xx
Faith A. says
Wow Healthy By Fifty is one brave woman. I do not think the world is quite ready for me in pants. Sorry about your knees, as I really benefited from the freebie NHS Couch to 5K running programme. Some friends swear by The Shred workout DVDs,although it does sound scary. I was hoping to borrow one from the library to give it a go.