Good health is an investment. It takes time, money, and energy to change old habits and to set new foundations in place, but health is a form of wealth that is worth the cost and the effort because it pays high dividends. 

 Prioritizing health can be challenging, especially in financial difficulty. Fortunately, there are many steps to take that can move health in the right direction without hitting the monthly budget. Here is a list of no or low cost ways to improve health on a daily basis. Expensive meal plans, gym memberships, or home fitness systems can all be beneficial, but they are not the only ways to start a health journey. 

 Seven Ways to Begin a Health Journey at Low or No Cost

1. Walk

Walking is a low-impact, free, accessible way to get the movement the body needs. Tie on some sneakers and check out local, state, and national parks for hiking areas, explore your neighborhood, or even hit the local mall for a few rounds. For enjoyment, safety, and accountability, a walking partner might be a good idea. Walking can be a great way to relieve stress and have a good conversation. 

2. Breathe

Focusing on the breath is a time-tested way to calm and connect the mind and body. While there are specific patterns that can be helpful in certain situations, what most breathing techniques have in common is a slow, intentional, and deep breath in, often through the nose, with a slow, intentional, and deep breath out through the mouth, repeated a couple of times. 

3. Sleep

Prioritizing consistent high-quality sleep can make a positive impact on mental health and mood, metabolism, immune response, and cognitive function. Setting consistent wake and sleep times, shutting off devices an hour before bed, and creating as comfortable a sleeping space as possible can help facilitate good sleep. 

4. Drink water

Plain water is cheaper (even if it has to be bought because of water quality issues) and better for health than any other beverage. Start the day with plenty of water, and make water the beverage of choice at meals. 

5. Make something

Maybe it’s dinner, maybe it’s process art, or maybe it’s a garden—whatever it is, making something is good for both mental and physical health. From windowsill herb pots to sheet pan meals for a family, making things builds skill and connection and can save money. 

6. Forage

Plants provide some of the most nutritious forms of food. Besides buying fruits and vegetables, foraging for edible foods can supplement meals with the freshest, most local and seasonal food around. There are many excellent books and resources available to increase knowledge about local foods that can be foraged. Check with a local library for books to borrow, or sometimes even classes. Be sure only to eat food that is properly identified and collected from an unpolluted space in a sustainable manner. 

7. Affirm your worth

Love is the strongest foundation for any life. Health goals that are based on fear, body image ideals, or other negative motivations may get a person started, but may also lack the inspiration to sustain long-term change. Every person deserves to have health in the body that carries them through this life. Choosing to care for the body they have, right now, to live a full and vibrant life, is something that everyone can do. Saying or writing the words, “I love and care for myself exactly as I am today,” can affirm that worth and put the day’s choices in another light. It is possible to both love the body one has, and also to desire better health in the future and to work toward that goal. 

At TruBalance, our weight loss experts center your goals and your life experiences in your care. They provide support, tools, and accountability by educating, inspiring, and equipping you to make the changes that will support life-long health.