If you hate going to the gym, tailor your own home workout program. Just think of what you’ll save on membership fees, fancy workout clothes, and commute time.

To make this work, you’ll need to invest in the proper equipment, but good workout gear and equipment will protect you against injuries and make your exercise sessions all the more enjoyable.

Running is an excellent at-home cardio exercise option, one that burns fat and calories, relieves stress, and will improve overall health. A huge advantage is you can perform this exercise anywhere and anytime. Outdoor running is far superior to indoor running because it takes more effort and challenges your body more. You’ll need to buy top notch running shoes (replace them every six months) in order to prevent injury, something you’d have to buy even if you kept the membership. You’ll also want to buy winter running gear or a treadmill, if you can’t handle the weather in your region, an investment that will last a decade or more.

Cardio exercise option number two: biking. You may not realize you can bike both inside and out; all you have to do is get a bike trainer, which transforms your outdoor bike into a stationary bike for the winter. Since you are dictating your own biking courses, you can choose difficult or easier routes as you see fit. You can use your bike to run errands, meaning you can double your exercise time as errand-running time. All you need is a working bike, a helmet and reflective gear, and the winter trainer.

You’ll be more likely to work out if you take away the excuse of “I have to make time to go to the gym”.

When it comes to eating healthy, one of the most difficult things to do is to know exactly how much you should eat. Many people end up eating too little when they try to eat healthy, thinking this is good for them, or they take the advice that they should “eat throughout the day” and they eat far too much. One of the easiest ways to combat this is to put yourself on an eating schedule, with regimented meals and times of day.

Even though it might seem counterintuitive, it is true that you should eat all throughout the day; of course, this means small meals throughout the day! As you have surely heard people say before, the most important meal of the day is breakfast. This is because, when you eat breakfast to start your day, you get your metabolism working right away; your metabolism is also the reason why it is good to eat throughout the day.

For breakfast, you do not need a big meal so much as you need something that will get you and your metabolism going. But remember: You will not be eating again for another few hours, so make sure you eat enough to hold you over until your mid-morning snack.

Your mid-morning snack should fall right in between breakfast and lunch, and should be something light and healthy. Lunch is a good time to eat something satisfying and filling; not too filling, however, as you will be eating again in just a few hours!

Sometime in the middle of the afternoon – between lunch and dinner – you should plan to have another light snack. When you get home from work or wrap up your day, you can eat another full meal; but again, not too much, as you may eat one more light snack a few hours later!

When you start to get yourself on an eating schedule – where you are eating five to six small meals a day, at set times of day – you will find that your body is healthier and your metabolism is working more efficiently. As odd as it might seem, it truly does work to “eat more often to stay slim and healthy”!

If you’re a beginning runner, you might not know that’s it’s incredibly important to invest in good running shoes. The following tips will help you choose running shoes that are right for you.

First off, it’s important to understand how crucial good running shoes are. Yes, they are expensive, but running is tough on your joints, and you’ll quickly develop problems or risk injury if you don’t use good shoes. The rule of thumb is to only use your running shoes for running (not everyday wear) and to replace them every six months or 350 miles of running. If you’re a heavy runner and are hard on shoes, you may need to replace them even more frequently. To preserve shoes, try to run on the track, treadmills, or trails more than on pavement.

Just before going to buy shoes, try this test. Wet your feet, then step onto a dry piece of paper or concrete, and look at the shape of your footprint. If your foot leaves a solid footprint, you need extra arch support. If your footprint is very curved, you probably don’t need so much arch support.

Check your shoes for wear, and note where you feel extra stress in your ankles. You want to look for signs of overpronation or underpronation. If your feet lean inwards, you’ve got issues with overpronation; if they lean outwards, you need help with underpronation. If your joints are vulnerable, you’ll want shoes with ankle stabilizers and cushion.

Check also to see how roomy of a toebox you will need. Because toes tend to swell after you’ve run for a while, you’ll want to buy shoes with roomy toeboxes. It’s common to buy running shoes in a size larger than your everyday shoes.

If you buy good running shoes, you’ll increase your chances of developing a long lasting running hobby.