Budget-Friendly Ways to Stay in Shape as a Busy Single Parent

By:  Nora Hood – Confluence Daily is your daily news source for women in the know.

Single parents often have a hard time finding time to exercise and eat healthfully. Although paying for healthy meal delivery services, gym memberships, and fancy workout equipment might make it easier to stay in shape, the costs can quickly add up.

Believe it or not, it is possible to stay fit and healthy on a budget, even if you have very spare little time on your hands. For example, swinging by one-stop retailers such as Target can help save you time as well as money, whether you’re shopping for healthy foods or gear to help you make the most of your exercise or yoga routine. To take those savings one step further, you can use a Target coupon code for your purchases; find out more by clicking here.

Here are some additional ways for single parents to save money on their path to good health.

Scrap the Gym Membership

Going to the gym is both costly and time-consuming. Consider canceling your membership and working out at home to cut out the unnecessary commute and monthly expense. You don’t have to squeeze your workout into one large session; if you’re strapped for time, try to exercise for shorter durations throughout your day. According to Forbes, exercising for just 10 minutes at a time is enough to benefit your body. A quick run in the morning followed by an at-home workout before dinner may be more manageable than spending a whole hour at the gym.

Try New Workouts

To maximize your fitness when you’re limited by a busy schedule, try a few workouts that target the whole body and combine strength training with cardio. Kettlebell exercises, Tabata workouts, and circuit training are some great time-saving workouts that you can do at home. These short workouts include the perfect blend of calorie burning and muscle building for fast results. The best part: These workouts require very little to no equipment, so they’re essentially free!

Exercise with Your Kids

You might have an easier time sticking to your exercise routine if you get your kids involved — especially on those days when you can’t seem to get a moment to yourself. What’s more, you’ll save money on sitters and childcare, and your kids will get an extra dose of healthy physical activity. Everybody wins! So, encourage your kids to join you on brisk walks through your neighborhood or have them bike alongside you as you jog through nature trails. You can even modify your at-home workouts so your children can try them too.

Meal Prep on Weekends

If you don’t have the time to cook healthy dinners during the week, try to do as much meal prep as possible on the weekends. Start by creating a detailed grocery list of high-quality protein sources and fresh fruits and veggies that you will need for next week’s meals. Steer clear of pre-packaged, processed foods to avoid unhealthy additives and reduce your grocery bill. Buy healthy pantry staples — like beans, rice, quinoa, lentils, oats, nuts, and seeds — in bulk to save money and avoid extra trips to the store to pick up missing ingredients. The Everygirl recommends some excellent healthy meals that you can prep on Sunday, such as honey chipotle chicken bowls and spicy cauliflower burgers.

Don’t let anything stop you from living a healthy, active lifestyle. Eating right, exercising, and feeling good is priceless, but it shouldn’t cost you an impossible amount of time and money. Make your fitness routine work around your busy schedule and steer clear of pricey diets and gimmicky equipment. When it comes to health, simplicity is the key.

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