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Low Cost Ways To Stay Active and Fit

02.17.2012 by Matt Jabs //

“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.”  – Plato

Fitness can be had free

Stop thinking you need a gym membership to get and stay fit, that’s a copout.

  • if you have a pair of shoes, go for a walk
  • if you have running shoes, go for a run.
  • hiking shoes/boots, go for a hike
  • a bicycle, go for a ride.
  • a jump rope, get off the couch and start using it.

More fitness ideas that can be had for free are push-ups, sit-ups (crunches), pull-ups, calisthenics, running stairs, working in the yard, playing with your kids, jumping, dancing, swimming, and even making love.

Be creative and have fun

One of my biggest pet peeves is the approach that you need to pay membership fees and run a treadmill to stay fit. Phooey. Be creative and have fun with your exercise . . . I promise you’ll be more likely to stick to it.

Go to the park with your kids and throw a frisbee or a boomerang. Take your dog out for a run or a walk. Call your local high school and ask them if they have open gym or open swimming. Contact your library and other local resources to see if there are hiking/walking/swimming/running/whatever groups that get together every week to get fit.

Catch up on the outdoor honey-do-list, get your kids to help, and make it fun. Have competitions with friends and family to see who can do more jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups (or whatever activity you’re doing). A crowd pleaser is the hula hoop; grab one and see who in the family can keep it going the longest.

Long story short . . . think outside the box, be creative, and have fun with your fitness. You’ll save money and be more likely to persist.

Invest in your fitness

While fitness can be had for free, there are a few low cost, all-purpose purchases that can take you to the next level; think of them as investments in your health and well-being.

Here are a few inexpensive, high function items to invest in:

  • a good pair of cross-training shoes – they’re an economical choice that allow you to buy a single pair of athletic shoes for a variety of uses.
  • A kettlebell – will tone the entire body by building both strength and stability at the same time. Kettlebell workouts engage multiple muscle groups at once and are a great option for getting a whole body workout in a short time.
  • A jump rope – will help you loose weight, tone muscle, and increase cardiovascular fitness . . . all for a really low price – I bet you can’t go for 5 minutes.
  • A medicine ball – whether you throw it, catch it, run with it, or do sit-ups with it a medicine ball is a great all-purpose fitness investment that works your core and entire body.
  • A heavy bag – is a great way to work your entire body while relieving stress and having fun.
  • A rebounder – a good rebounder is a great investment; they tone and shape your entire body from the inside out and are great for indoor fitness during cold winters. I bought Betsy one of these a few years back and she still loves it.

Investing in these, and/or similar all-purpose fitness items will help you get in good shape and stay there so you can save money on things like health care.

Remember, your fitness is an investment.

Fitness promotes healthy eating

When you sit on the couch all day watching TV you’ll crave pizza and chips – trust me, I’ve been there.

But . . . if you get outside and do something active everyday you will crave healthier foods. Fitness and activity help your cravings bend toward healthier options. Your body will desire foods that give it the proper type of energy to keep doing more of what you’re doing. If you treat your body properly it will yearn for healthier food.

I dare you to try this and prove me wrong.

Save on healthcare

I mentioned this earlier but it deserves more attention.

As you work fun fitness activities into your everyday life you will begin eating better, feeling better, and looking better because you will be healthier. When you’re healthier you go to the doctor less. When you go to the doctor less you take less prescription drugs. When you take less drugs you avoid their side effects and save money.

I encourage you to budget more money toward healthy groceries and fitness, and less toward the doctor.

In closing

Start treating your physical fitness with creativity by doing what you enjoy and having fun with it. Include loved ones and don’t be afraid to invest in a couple all-purpose tools that break your waistline but not your budget.

Never forget that when it comes to fitness the gym is optional but the good health of you and your family are not!

*******

Categories // Simplify Tags // fitness, healthy, save

Huge Food Recall – Are You Tired of Contaminated Food?

03.08.2010 by Matt Jabs //

Personal finance isn’t my only passion…

In case you were unaware, I’m a big proponent of healthy and sustainable food production and supporting local economy.  Local farms that seek to produce food enough for local communities – without the use of chemical pesticides, growth hormones, or other questionable practices – makes plain sense on many levels.  I don’t write more about this topic because Debt Free Adventure is about personal finance… not organic and sustainable food production.  That said, I am very passionate about these issues and like to touch on it occasionally here at DFA.

Note: If you are interested in learning more about this topic, I highly recommend you watch the movie Food, Inc. (also on blu-ray)

Recall products containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein

Thanks to Wisebread for tipping me off to this recall.

Today the FDA announced yet another food recall… this time it includes nearly 100 different products containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein.  The list is growing and will be updated as more contaminated products are found.  Here is a snippet from the FDA page:

This list includes products subject to recall in the United States since February 2010 related to hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) paste and powder distributed by Basic Food Flavors, Inc. This list will be updated with publicly available information as received. The information is current as of the date indicated. Once included, recalls will remain listed. If we learn that any information is not accurate, we will revise the list as soon as possible. When available, this database also includes photos of recalled products that have been voluntarily submitted by recalling firms to the FDA to assist the public in identifying those products that are subject to recall.

Keep an eye on this FDA recall page for any future updates.

International corporate farms

Today’s FDA announcement does not surprise me, in fact… this sort of thing is one of the main reasons we try to limit our consumption to unprocessed foods from local suppliers.

The contamination driving the recalls is a result of unsustainable farming practices that permeate enormous corporate farms.  I won’t get into details… but wanted to let DFA readers know about the recall, and encourage everyone to eat well and support local growers above huge international food industry conglomerates.

Support local economy and eat healthy

My wife and I are very passionate about healthy eating, self-reliance, and local economy.  Cooking from scratch with local organic ingredients help us voice our preference for the foods we want grown.

Every time you shop you vote for what type of food you want.  Every time you cook you vote for what type of food you want.  Every time you eat you vote for what type of food you want.  What type of food do you want?  Do your shopping, cooking, and eating habits support those wants?  It is never to late to make a change.

When it comes to our choice for public office we can vote once every couple of years.  When it comes to our choice for food we can vote three times a day… or more!  That is exciting to me… what about you?

More food and self-reliance articles

I have written several articles on DFA related to this topic, if interested check ’em out:

  • A Frugal and Sensible Diet & Weight Loss Mindset
  • Localvore – Eat Local Foods and Save Money
  • Grocery Hacks – How To Save Money on Groceries

I also have a few related articles published on Five Cent Nickel:

  • Obesity Costs More Than You Think
  • Benefits of Homemade Household Cleaners
  • Gardening for Health, Wealth, and Independence

Lastly, awhile back I moved several posts a new site – diyNatural.com – and occasionally update that site with information of this type.  Check it out if you’d like.

How do you feel about the food recalls?

Have you been wanting to change your consumption habits to reflect more of a local and healthy approach to food and economy?  How do you plan to get started?

Note: If you are interested in learning more about this topic, I highly recommend you watch the movie Food, Inc. (also on blu-ray)

Categories // Spending, Tips Tags // food, healthy, local

30 Personal Finance Bloggers Lose 142 Pounds!

08.09.2009 by Matt Jabs //

Blogger Weight Loss Challenge Concludes

The Challenge was the brain child of Baker from Man Vs. Debt.

I am lucky enough to have the pleasure of talking with Baker on a regular basis, and because I know there are a lot of other people eagerly following his adventure I thought it only right to get a few words directly from the man himself.

Despite being crazy busy hopping from continent to continent, growing MVD, and working on intense projects at both Get Rich Slowly and Wisebread… always willing to contribute, Baker jumped at the chance and had this to say:

When I first announced the Personal Finance Bloggers Weight Loss Challenge in late May, I was only hoping that I could stir up at least 10 other bloggers who would want to join.  Over the next couple of days, I was shocked at the number of people who were excited to particpate!  Within a week the number had climbed to 30!

Initially, I thought a friendly “competition” would be an amazing way to not only pile on accountability, but to also strengthen ties within the great blogging community we have!  So many of us spend a large portion of our free time studying, learning, and helping spread personal finance content, but all to often we neglect our own health.  I was tired of it!

Out of the gates, several people jumped out to fantastic starts! Within the first couple of weeks I had shed an incredible amount of pounds from simply increasing the amount of time I spent walking/jogging combined with conscious eating habits.  Relying on the others for inspiration was a key part of my motivation!

The community aspect came into full effect once I moved overseas.  I had been a little naive thinking I could keep up with everything while traveling across the world.  Luckily, Matt Jabs, Laura, Mrs. Micah, Shane, MFD, and Krista were able to step up and keep the challenge going strong!

Towards the end I personally faded as I got lazy and lost some connection while traveling with the community (which had been such a source of strength for me).  Overall, though, I still managed to lose 12 pounds, which I’m convinced would not have happened without this challenge.  Most importantly, though, this process has renewed my belief in the power of accountability and community.

Hearing that all 30 bloggers combined to lose a total of 142 pounds is freakin’ awesome! The “challenge” has far exceed any expectations I had set for it over two months ago.  I’m honored to have been able to participate with such a great group of people!

Thanks for getting everyone together Adam… what a great team effort!

So What About the Results!

As previously mentioned — 142 total pounds were lost in 9 weeks displaying an amazing feat of teamwork and fortitude.  Everyone did a great job — and the PF community, once again, was able to show their unique and powerful ability to work together toward a common goal.

Despite a couple of weddings and other life altering events that called some to focus their time and attention elsewhere, participation was high and everyone can come away from this competition with a lot of positive momentum.

And now… the results:

6th Place – Team Epsilon – lost a total of 8.5 pounds!

  1. (Team Leader) MFD of MyFindependenceDay.com
  2. Lynne of TheWiserMiser.net
  3. Viviana of TheLeanTimes.com
  4. Clare of GetMoneyEnergy.com
  5. Rachel of PorterCoaching.blogspot.com

5th Place – Team Delta – lost a total of 15 pounds!

  1. (Team Leader) Shane of BeatingBroke.com
  2. Spendthrift of ConvertingaSpendthrift.blogspot.com
  3. Pretty Penny of MyPrettyPennies.wordpress.com
  4. John of MightyBargainHunter.com
  5. Bob of ChristianPF.com

4th Place – Team Alpha – lost a total of 21 pounds!

  1. (Team Leader) Laura of GreenPandaTreehouse.com
  2. Brad of EnemyOfDebt.com
  3. Dave of DoYouDaveRamsey.com
  4. Abigail of IPickUpPennies.blogspot.com
  5. Lindsey of WiseBread

3rd Place – Team Gamma – lost a total of 30 pounds!

  1. (Team Leader) Mrs. Micah of MrsMicah.com
  2. Baker of ManVsDebt.com
  3. Neal Frankle of WealthPilgrim.com
  4. Kelly of TheCentsibleLife.com
  5. Kim of MoneyManagement.org

2nd Place – Zeta Team – lost a total of 31.5 pounds!

  1. (Team Leader) Krista of Change-Jar.blogspot.com
  2. Dusty of ChasingTheBull.info
  3. Bettsonly of FinancialSuccessIsMine.blogspot.com
  4. Jorge of IndependentMinded.org
  5. SavingDiva of SavingForHome.blogspot.com

1st Place WINNERS – Beta Team – lost a total of 36 pounds!

  1. (Team Leader) Matt Jabs of DebtFreeAdventure.com
  2. Jessica of PennyWiseFamily.blogspot.com
  3. Josh Smith of WalletPop.com
  4. Miranda of YieldingWealth.com
  5. SNS of PennyPence.blogspot.com

Excellency in Reporting Award goes to…

Teams Beta and Gamma!

Both of these teams were faithful to turn in 100% of their weigh-in numbers each and every week!

Weekly Results…

Here are the links to the individual results for each week of the competition:

  1. Week 1 Results at ManVsDebt.com
  2. Week 2 and 3 Results at DebtFreeAdventure.com
  3. Week 4 Results at MrsMicah.com
  4. Week 5 Results at BeatingBroke.com
  5. Week 6 and 7 Results at GreenPandaTreehouse.com
  6. Week 8 Results at DebtFreeAdventure.com
  7. Week 9 Results at MrsMicah.com

In Closing…

Excellent work everyone!  Thank you to all who participated and contributed… especially to Baker and the Team Leaders for their concentrated effort to keep this competition rolling all the way to the finish line.

Categories // General Tags // blogging, healthy

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Disclaimer

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