Get Healthy For Free!

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10 ways to get healthy (and stay that way) for free.

1. Don’t buy your next fitness DVD
Join the local library, for the workout DVDs. Most libraries have a big selection, the perfect antidote to a boring (and pricey) gym routine. And because the key to sticking with exercise is to keep it interesting, you can switch it up (cheaply) as often as you want.

2. Get a free skin checkup
The Skin Cancer Foundation will provide free skin screenings during its Road to Healthy Skin Tour from April to September 2010. Check SkinCancer.org this spring for availability in your area.

3. Order a free health calendar
Go to WomensHealth.gov/pub/calendar for the National Women’s Health Information Center’s 2010 calendar. It lists recommended health tests, reveals surprising symptoms of serious health conditions, and offers important advice on how to read drug labels and get a second opinion.

4. Get a free radon test
Radon, an odorless natural gas present in many homes, is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers. January is National Radon Action Month, so visit EPA.gov/radon/whereyoulive.html to check the availability of free or low-cost test kits in your state.

5. Do a smoke checkup
Some local fire departments offer smoke alarms (a potential lifesaver, considering up to 20% of the alarms installed in people’s homes don’t even work) for free or at discounted prices. Speaking of smoke: if you’re trying to stop smoking, call 800-784-8669 to find a coach who’ll help you kick the nasty habit for free. Quitting will not only save you money but also lower your risks for heart disease and cancer.

6. Create a medical family tree
Start planning a healthier future today by asking relatives about their health conditions and those of your ancestors. Then visit FamilyHistory.hhs.gov to create a free Family Health Portrait that reveals your risks. Raising health awareness this way can help lower your risk of major diseases.

7. Save $170 in the shower
That’s how much you can cut from your water bill each year by taking shorter, cooler showers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Your budget and your skin will thank you. Hot water causes blood vessels to expand, causing you to lose more moisture, says Jeannette Graf, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. To keep your skin soft and supple, limit showers to around five minutes and think warm, not hot.

8. Boost your immunity
To help keep winter colds at bay, get free samples of Emergen-C powdered multivitamin packs at EmergenC.com. Each packet contains 1,000 milligrams of vita-min C—more than 10 times your daily requirement—plus other antioxidants and energy-boosting B vitamins.

9. Try a new sport
You’ve always wanted to try cross-country skiing, right? As part of its anniversary sale Jan. 9, WinterTrails.org will help you try it for free at a location near you.

10. Talk it out
There’s a free self-help group out there for whatever is bothering you, whether it’s physical or mental. Check Mentalhelp.net/selfhelp, a searchable database of about 1,000 support groups for people dealing with acne, addictions, allergies, breast cancer, headaches, infertility, eating disorders, OCD, parenting, and many more issues.

Courtesy of Health Magazine

For the full article CLICK HERE

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