18 Cheap Ways for Seniors to Stay Fit

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Life as a senior should be filled with whatever the heart desires — whether that means sleeping in late and relaxing at home, or island-hopping around the world with your life partner.

Regardless of how you choose to spend your golden years, it’s important to stay fit in every part of life. When you learn to take advantage of senior discounts, breathe through stressful moments and keep the body moving, you’ll be on the path to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Luckily, no expensive workout equipment or complicated meal plans have to be involved to keep all aspects of life in shape. Read on for 18 cheap ways that seniors can stay fit — physically, mentally and financially.

Ways for Seniors to Stay Physically Fit

Staying physically fit doesn’t mean shelling out money every month for a gym membership or trying the latest all-celery-juice-all-the-time cleanse. Something as simple as a short yoga session or a walk around the neighborhood is a great way to get the heart pumping and blood flowing.

Below are a few ways to get the recommended thirty minutes of exercise in without spending a dollar:

Take a Walk

Everyone knows that stepping outside for a stroll is a great way to get some exercise along with fresh air in your lungs and warm sun on your face, sans gym fees and gym smells. But did you know that adding 150 minutes of fast-paced walking to your weekly workout routine can add more than three years to your lifespan?

But you don’t have to jump straight into 10,000 steps a day. Instead, start by making goals that are realistic to your current routine. Whether you’re starting at a mile a week or can power-walk five miles in a morning, making an effort to stay active is what’s important.

Not able to get outside? Make a habit of moving at home when you can. If you’re binging on your favorite show, stand up and walk in place during the commercials. Save money by avoiding gym dues (and by using Hulu coupons to keep the video stream constant!) when you get your steps in at home.

Try Resistance Bands Training

Using resistance bands as a part of your workout is a cheap way to upgrade your regular routine. In fact, every major muscle group can be worked out using bands!

Training with resistance bands helps to improve posture, core strength and coordination without having to purchase expensive equipment or hire a personal trainer. You can even find full-body resistance band workouts made especially for seniors on YouTube.

Purchase a set of resistance bands at your local sporting goods store or online to enhance your home fitness program for under $20. For more savings, check out these coupons from Modell’s Sporting Goods.

Do a Chair Workout

If you have limited mobility, a chair workout could be the perfect solution to get in some exercise without pushing your body too hard.

Spending at least half an hour doing chair workout routines with moves like the seated overhead stretch or neck twists can help decrease joint stiffness and associated pain.

After implementing regular chair workouts into your routine, you should see a fuller range of motion and an increase in flexibility.

Pick Up Yoga

Yoga is an incredible way to increase flexibility and manage stress, and it positively impacts immune function, wellness and longevity by changing your body at a molecular level.

Poses such as the low lunge, bridge, extended puppy and warrior two are just a few of the recommended yoga moves for seniors.

Try out a variety of virtual yoga classes hosted by different instructors when you download an app for your phone like Yoga for Beginners or Daily Yoga. If you need a mat or other yoga gear, be sure to use a coupon for Alo Yoga.

Start Dancing

Dancing is a seriously fun way to get fit for free. Shakin’ and shimmyin’ as exercise can improve balance and strength, and you don’t have to worry about technique or counting reps. Bonus — dancing also can boost self-esteem, better social skills and an improved psychological well-being.

Make a playlist with ten or so of your favorite jams, put on your dancing shoes, and get ready to burn some calories shakin’ that thang!

Try Out Pilates

In the past, pilates was associated with svelte celebs and beachfront workout studios, which meant expensive instructors and crowded classes. You may be surprised to learn that pilates was actually created as a rehabilitation exercise for WW1 soldiers to help with endurance, mobility and balance.

Thanks to the technology of streaming platforms, now anyone with the internet can learn pilates as long as there’s a connection!

The Girl With The Pilates Mat has a collection of simple and short guided exercises specifically for those 65 and older, such as this 30-minute “Standing Pilates for Seniors” video.

Ways for Seniors to Stay Mentally Fit

Keeping cognitive activity up is important during all stages of life. Doing simple activities like crossword puzzles or journaling to get the brain thinking critically have both mental and emotional benefits like improved memory and concentration.

Decreased mental health can cost more than money. Luckily, it doesn’t cost a thing to prioritize your mental well-being and take some of the actions below.

Get Some Shut-Eye

The benefits of getting quality sleep are serious — improved concentration, a boosted mood and even a lowered risk of certain diseases.

According to doctors, those over 65 should be clocking in the full seven to eight hours of sleep. Unfortunately, 44 percent of seniors struggle with insomnia.

To guarantee your best sleep, replace old mattresses and consider creating a sleep routine including powering down electronics, and drinking a cup of hot water or tea to get ready for a solid slumber.

Join a Book Club

It’s known that reading improves vocabulary and keeps the imagination active. When joining a book club, the benefits of reading are combined with social stimulation through critical thinking and conversations with peers.

Join an online reading club or use an app like Meetup to find local book clubs. If your collection is already crowding the shelves and you don’t know exactly what to do with old books you’ve already enjoyed, consider selling, donating or even setting up a free book library in your community!

Learn Simple Stress Relievers

If you’re one of the seventy percent of Americans experiencing stress and anxiety on a daily basis, learning some simple ways to relieve tension can be life-changing, even in your later years.

Mastering techniques like controlled breathing, mental imagery relaxation and mindfulness meditation will encourage moments of peace and comfort during trying moments.

Next time you feel out of control, rather than get upset and let the issue steal your clarity, take a breath and let the moment pass. It costs zero dollars to keep your mental peace.

Complete Daily Puzzles

There are quite a few low-cost ways to test your mental dexterity. Completing a quick mental workout like crosswords, sudoku or a word search is a cheap and easy way to keep your brain fit.

Studies have shown that mentally stimulating activities such as word puzzles can delay the progress of dementia as well as lessen its impact on the brain. Stay sharp up top by completing a puzzle a day.

If you find satisfaction in writing in every answer by hand, purchase a copy of the Wall Street Journal to complete their daily crossword puzzles, or head online to find it and tons of other word puzzles for free.

Keep a Journal

Each day, take a moment to record your emotions and current mental state in a few sentences. Recognize and record instances of success as well as shortcomings or challenges to remind yourself of your personal growth and tenacity.

Journaling presents the opportunity to practice gratitude, relieve stress and inspire creativity — all activities that are great for your mental health.

Don’t feel the need to go out and purchase the latest fad journal to record your day in. Head somewhere inexpensive such as Dollar General and use a coupon when you can!

Keep in Touch

Of the most invaluable ways to keep mentally sound that doesn’t cost a dime is to stay in touch with friends and family.

Keeping in touch with loved ones can enhance your mental health by providing regular emotional support, encouragement and reassurance.

If it’s been a while since your last heart-to-heart, pick up the phone, write a letter or even send a quick message on Facebook to get the conversation started up.

Ways for Seniors to Stay Financially Fit

It took years of hard work to finally be comfortably retired. To lose track of spending and worry about income once again would be devastating.

Maintain a healthy bank account and stay on top of your finances by practicing some of these tips and tricks:

Track Your Spending

With often limited income coming in after retirement, it’s critical that you track spending so that your finances can stay in a healthy position.

Keep a notebook on hand to log daily expenses and monthly bills so you can better understand spending patterns and save money accordingly.

If you prefer the convenience of tracking expenses digitally, you can find a few different expense tracker apps for your phone.

Use Coupons and Discounts

One of the lovely benefits that come with hitting your sixth decade — senior discounts! Many restaurants, retail stores and attractions offer seniors money off of their purchases with proof of age.

Whether you’re just grabbing a bite to eat at a local diner or traveling nationwide to all of the national parks, before you pay your dues, ask if any senior discounts are available. You might be surprised just how much money you’ll save in your golden years.

Plan Ahead

If you know you’ll be island hopping in the summer, hosting a family reunion in the fall or attending some other potentially pricy event, be sure to plan ahead when possible.

If you’re able to prepare for your event, put aside money on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis — whatever makes the most sense for your budget. Preparing ahead of time will get you lower prices when booking hotels or venues in advance and save you money that you can spend somewhere else.

Minimize Your Credit Card Purchases

Credit cards can be a source of financial stress. While spending on a credit line can be done in a smart way, keeping a high balance for extended periods of time can negatively impact your credit score, and in turn, hurt your financial situation.

If you’re able to live comfortably without a credit card, you’ll save money on expenses associated with credit card use such as; annual fees, withdrawal fees, late fees, balance transfer fees, and more.

Stay in Touch With Your Financial Planner

While it may not seem as important to meet with a financial planner when retired, speaking with a professional about managing your assets is always a good idea.

Whether you want to explore the potential of growing your money through stock options or straighten up overdue healthcare debts, having a trained expert to guide you in the right direction and answer any technical questions will make everything that much easier.

Maintain Investments

Keep financially fit and invest your money in places where it has the potential to grow.

If your budget allows you to make safe, low-risk investments by putting extra money into corporate bonds, preferred stocks, mutual funds or even real estate.

If you have a bit more to risk, take advantage of the growing economy by putting (or keeping) money into the stock market. You can talk with a stockbroker or check out one of the many investment apps available for your phone.

For late risers and island hoppers alike, life doesn’t slow down in the golden age — and you don’t have to either. Whether you’re adding a book reading session or a meeting with your financial advisor to your routine, taking steps to stay physically, mentally and financially fit will only do your heart, mind and wallet good. For more ways to save money in your golden years, check out coupons from our favorite stores.

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Please consult with your doctor before starting or making changes to any diet or exercise program.

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