Get Fit with Ayla

by Ayla Riggle

Ayla Riggle is an Everett resident and owner of Thrive Fitness, providing customized fitness programs for all fitness levels.  Certified by the American Council on Exercise as a Personal Fitness trainer, she provides personal training in home, at Anytime Fitness in Lake Stevens and outdoor fitness boot camps. For more information on Ayla and her services, visit www.thrivefitness.info.

If you're trying to find a way to eat healthy and get back on track with your fitness goals, but your budget is getting more crunches lately than your abs, I've got a solution. What if I told you that you could lose weight without spending hours at the gym and eat healthy on a budget? You will save time and money by working out in your very own home and planning your meals ahead.

In any area of life that you would like to improve, planning is essential. A plan for how you're going to get in shape and improve health and nutrition with help you stay on track when the going gets tough.

Begin with your fitness routine. Do an at-home workout consisting of body weight exercises like squats, pushups, dips off your coffee table and crunches to improve strength, firm and tone two days a week. Make a commitment to going on 30-minute walks four days a week around your neighborhood, picking up the intensity and increasing time each week to challenge yourself. Try enlisting an in-home personal trainer to help you get started. You'll be surprised how much extra time and money you have when you work out at home.

When it comes to healthy eating, plan for the week ahead and don't deviate. Eat something before you go grocery shopping as it is easy to impulse buy when hungry. This will save you calories and money when you're at the grocery store. Budget-friendly health foods include canned beans, low sodium soups and frozen vegetable and fruit. Bulk nuts and no-sugar-added dried fruit are great for snacks. Aim for produce that is local and in season; it's fresh and full of nutrition and flavor, and it costs much less than exotic fruits and vegetables. You can eat healthy without breaking the bank.

Use these tips to improve your nutrition and increase your energy. You're going to need it for the workouts you're doing.

With spring around the corner, you can trim your spending and your waistline in time to enjoy some great outdoor activities with confidence and vigor this year.

Ayla Riggle is a fitness and nutrition expert, providing in-home personal fitness training throughout Snohomish County. For more information, visit www.thrivefitness.info.