4 Pocket-Friendly Ways to Stay Healthy

Trying to stay healthy in Singapore isn’t always easy. Very often, when you start attempting to live healthier, you will find yourself spending substantially more time, effort and money trying to understand what this exactly means for you.

For some of you, this may mean spending more time and money picking out healthier options at the grocery store, trying to understand ambiguous health benefits of certain products such as office chairs, beds and devices or even figuring out what to do after joining a gym.

Choosing to stay healthy will frequently lead to you spending more time, effort and money which may derail this process over the longer term. To offer some motivation, we detail four simple ways you can tweak your lifestyle to stay healthier and save money at the same time.

If you don’t already know, you can ride on the MRT for free if you tap out from certain stations by 7.45am on weekday mornings, or receive a $0.50 subsidy if you happen to miss the cut off and tap out by 8am. This scheme was introduced by the Singapore government in 2013, and was extended till the mid 2017¹.

To benefit from this, you will have to plan your sleep time accurately. This will not only mean savings in public transport usage, but also a better quality of sleep as your body become accustomed to a regular routine. Studies have also shown that waking earlier frequently lead to more positive outcomes for the day, including being more proactive and optimistic as well as planning better strategies.²  

Singaporeans are one of the most sleep deprived³ people around, which can lead to many health-related problems and risks. With greater attention to planning your sleep routine, you will be forced to consider optimal sleep patterns. This is usually between seven to eight hours a day.

For those who are looking for a form of motivation to take active steps to leading a healthier lifestyle, the AIA Vitality programme rewards you to adopt healthier choices. For only $3 a month, members can accumulate AIA Vitality Points and redeem rewards worth more than the membership cost when they make certain healthier choices such as going for health screenings and/or assessments, purchasing healthier food items from grocery stores or tracking their physical activity

In addition, the programme offers participants discounts on these products and services to further encourage them to cultivate these healthier habits.

This programme is available to all AIA customers, and there’s no reason to not sign-up for it with the potential savings on first year premiums and free additional insurance coverage, discounts on products and services when you embark on your journey to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Everyone has probably told themselves at some stage of their lives that they should exercise more or to live a more active lifestyle. However, only a minority of people actually end up doing it. It’s easy to just say or think this, or even join a gym to feel like you’re moving in the right direction. This may work for a short while. In the longer term however, you may not follow through with the resolution once your schedule gets a lot busier.

One of the best ways to motivate yourself is to have a work-out buddy or to join a group that exercises together. Cancelling plans with yourself is a lot easier than letting down a friend who has already shown up in the gym, or a group that expects your attendance.

In addition, working out with other people makes exercising more fun, interactive and less daunting. Call your friends and rope your family members into a group exercise session so that you can spend quality time with them while keeping fit.

For those looking to join existing groups, there is no shortage. You can do a quick search online or look through some of the ideas championed by the Health Promotion Board. Alternatively, AIA Vitality members can simply download the AIA Vitality Weekly Challenge app and earn weekly team rewards by participating in the Group Challenge. 

The basic premise of achieving a healthier lifestyle is to ensure you spend time to develop a plan that you can stick to. The trick is not to be over ambitious at the start, and gradually update or add to your plan when you think you can afford the time and money or see your stamina or strength improving.

Of course, you need to stick to the plan for it to work out.