Staying active over 55 on a budget

I was recently commissioned by Mobility Plus to give my thoughts on staying active over 55 when you’re on a tight budget.

Staying fit and healthy is something that many of us actively try to do. We try to provide healthy meals for our families and make sure everybody gets some exercise. As a Mum of three, it’s something I’m always worrying about. Am I giving the kids a healthy, balanced diet? Are they doing enough activity? Are they getting enough fresh air? Sometimes, think I just like to worry about anything and everything!

Somebody once said to me that it’s far easier to feed your children junk because it’s cheaper. That’s just not true! The average cost of a banana in the UK is 10-15p depending on size. That’s far less than the average chocolate bar which comes in at 55p! So stocking up on the bananas as a healthy snack option will save you money AND help you to get healthier food into the kids. And that’s just one example.

But it’s not just the children we need to be thinking about when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle on a budget. The older generation often struggle too.

Staying active over 55 on a budget

It’s a sad fact that even those who have worked all their lives may still find themselves on a tight budget during their retirement. It would be lovely to think that we could spend the later years of our lives without worrying about money, but retirement is often the time when budgets are more important than ever.

But just because you have to be careful with your money, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still lead a healthy, active life when you’re over 55.

Many over 55s will still be working physical jobs which is great as part of a healthy lifestyle and means there’s still money coming in too. But those in sedentary jobs need to think of other ways to stay active.

When I think about my own Mum and Dad, I know that they were kept incredibly busy when we were growing up. They would walk us to school, take us to our activities, we’d take part in sports as a family, but now we’re grown up that’s all stopped. But, they do both manage to keep themselves fit and active without spending much money.

The truth is, there’s really no need for expensive gym membership in order to stay active. Taking regular, brisk walks doesn’t cost a penny and it’s incredibly beneficial for your health.

Some people join the gym for the social aspect as well as to keep themselves fit. But there are so many groups you can join that are often either completely free or cost a fraction of the price of the gym. Groups such as The University of the Third Age offer a whole range of activities across the country for the retired and semi-retired. Or, you can join local walking groups or even running groups – these groups have members at all ability levels, so you don’t need to worry if you’re just starting out.

One really simple and completely free way to increase your activity is to up the number of steps you walk each day. Many people aim to hit 10,000 steps and doing just that will have a hugely positive impact on your overall health.

Healthy Eating

As part of a healthy lifestyle, we need to eat a balanced, nutritious diet. Fruit and vegetables are vital if you want to feel good and they really don’t need to be expensive.

Take advantage of offers such as Aldi’s super 6 which offers different fruit and veg at discounted prices each week.

If you live alone, consider batch cooking healthy meals and freeze them in single portions. That way you can just grab something out of the freezer each morning and know you’re getting a healthy meal at the end of the day.

Taking care of you

It’s inevitable that as we get older we need more support around the home and this is something that should be one of our main priorities. It’s really important that you feel safe doing everyday activities such as bathing, cooking and going up and down the stairs.

If you’re starting to find climbing in and out of the bath a struggle, or you’re worried about slipping and not being able to get help, then you may benefit from a walk-in bath. Taking a bath can be a great way to unwind as well as staying clean, so a walk-in bath could make a huge difference to your overall wellbeing.

Whatever it is that helps you to feel good about yourself, do more of it! Whether it’s taking that long soak in the bath, reading a book, getting your nails done or catching up with friends. Self-care is important no matter how old you are.