It’s always a good time to start making good on all the resolutions you promised you’d achieve when the slate was wiped clean. If you’re among the Canadians who made a New Year’s resolution, there’s a good chance your promises included exercising or getting healthier, as those are popular ones made each year. Getting in shape and improving your health can be an expensive undertaking though, when fees for gym memberships, personal trainers, home fitness equipment, or the costs of specialty foods begin to pile up. Here are some budget-friendly ways to invest in your health:

Explore gym membership alternatives

Often times, the cost of a gym membership is prohibitive for some people who are looking to get in shape. While most gym memberships will offer you access to a great variety of equipment, classes, and health and fitness experts, there are plenty of less expensive choices that can help you get in shape and get healthy in the New Year. Some of the best workouts you can get, like walking, running and hiking require nothing more than a comfortable pair of shoes and a little bit of motivation. You could also sign up for fitness classes at a neighbourhood recreational center, take advantage of a corporate wellness program, watch an online video, or commit to following DVD fitness programs at home.

Buy frozen fruits and vegetables

Buying frozen fruit and vegetables may help you reduce the amount of food that goes to waste because you can take out what you need and save the rest until you need to use it. This can potentially save you money on the cost of eating well. When you use a President’s Choice Financial® Mastercard® (opens in a new window), you’ll earn PC Optimum points that can be redeemed toward free stuff.

Get more sleep

If you’re looking to improve your health and happiness without spending a dime, a simple change to your lifestyle like getting more sleep can do wonders. Plenty of sleep on a nightly basis is ideal, and although that may be a difficult goal to achieve, it’s a free investment in your health that can help promote improved overall well-being, enhanced productivity, and happiness.

Incorporate new recipes

The Internet has many different recipes for the health-conscious Canadian. If you’ve grown accustomed to the same staples, mix it up with something new.

Track your movement

Between sleeping, working, commuting and all of the other routines that people may go through on a daily basis, it can be difficult to find the time for meaningful exercise. Tracking your steps and movement using one of the many free smartphone apps or a movement tracking device is a great idea, and many of them allow you to set goals, so you can work towards ensuring that you’re meeting your fitness goals, like walking a predetermined distance or number of steps every day.