When it comes to health, you go for a medical checkup to see if you're physically fit. The medical report will tell everything about your health.

But when it comes to wealth, it's as important that you do a regular checkup for your financial health. You need to know where you are financially before you decide what you want to achieve financially.

What do you do to ascertain your level of financial fitness?

You can use financial statements to determine your financial fitness. They are income statements and balance sheets.

It sounded boring and alien to me when I first prepared my income statement and balance sheet. The process is tedious as you need to dig out things and get them organized in a proper format.

But I can tell you once you've done this checkup, you'll have a clear picture where you stand financially and you can take the necessary measures to achieve financial freedom.

Besides that you'll be more in control of your money and know how to spend your money wisely.

Let's get started to determine your financial fitness.

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Income Statement
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First, you can prepare an income statement. An income statement is also called profit and loss statement. An income statement consists of two sections: monthly income and expenses.

Your income would probably comprise salary, rent from real estate, dividends from stocks and bonds, interests from savings accounts, and royalties.

Your expenses would be food, clothing, utilities, car loan payments, credit card payments, home mortgage payments, medical expenses, entertainment, insurance payments, charity, taxes, and education.

List down your income and expenses into each section accordingly. Then calculate your total income and expenses.

Once you've done that, it's time to calculate your net income. Net income is the difference between your gross income and expenses:

net income = gross income - expenses

If you have a negative net income, it tells you that you spend more money than you make. You'll have to have plans to reduce your spending or increase your income.

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Balance Sheet
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Next step is to prepare a Balance Sheet. Like income statements, balance sheets also have two sections: assets and liabilities.

Assets are your cash, real estate, car, bank accounts, stocks and bonds, mutual funds, retirement accounts, and businesses.

Liabilities include mortgages, credit card loans, car loans, personal loans, education loans, and taxes.

Prepare your own balance sheet by listing down your assets and liabilities. Calculate your total assets and total liabilities.

The following step is to calculate your net worth. Net worth is the difference between total assets and total liabilities:

net worth = assets - liabilities

Net worth is usually used to determine whether a person is wealthy.

You deserve a pat on your shoulder if you've come so far with me. By doing this simple exercise, you are one step ahead of many people.

You'd have known the level of your financial fitness by now.

So, are you financially fit?

Sportcraft is an industry leader in treadmill and fitness products. Since 1926 Sportcraft has provided recreational treadmill products that offer quality and innovation at competitive prices. Sportcraft treadmill was introduced as part of Sportcraft’s home fitness offerings. In addition to Sportcraft treadmill, Sportcraft also offers aerobic equipments.

Intense research, innovative designs, ingenious manufacturing, attention to details and outstanding appearance sets the Sportcraft treadmill apart as compared to other treadmill brands. Sportcraft treadmill has a good warranty period.

Sportcraft fitness products include motorized Sportcraft treadmills as well as fitness accessory items. Sportcraft offers consumers eight different styles of Sportcraft treadmills to choose from.

The first Sportcraft treadmill is the TX 300, which is designed for walking or running up to 10 miles per hour. This Sportcraft treadmill unit includes a three-window LED console, is user programmable, and can be manually set at three different incline levels.

The Sportcraft treadmill model TX4.9 offers the same specifications and features as the TX 300 model of Sportcraft.

The Sportcraft treadmill model TX 400 offers all of the same features as the TX 300 model, except that it has a 2.25 horsepower motor compared to the 2 horsepower motor of TX 300 model. This Sportcraft treadmill also has a motorized incline, so users don't have to adjust it manually and it can be set incrementally instead of three set spots.

The TX420 Sportcraft treadmill model offers users a few more options, including a four window LED panel with a racetrack display, four factory programmed presets, a motorized incline to 10%, and a larger deck than the models previously mentioned (18" x 50" compared to 16" x 47"). The affordable electric powered Sportcraft TX420 motorized treadmill allows users to enjoy the benefits of exercise at home. This Sportcraft treadmill includes other features like 3 LED windows for feedback on time, speed, distance, calorie burning and inclines to 10%. Provides a 2.25 horsepower motor running at 4000 r.p.m’s in a large motor casing. Offers speed up to 10 mph. This Sportcraft treadmill model provides a 10 year warranty on frame and 1 year warranty on motor, deck and belt.
The Sportcraft TX440 Motorized treadmill brings to users the very latest in fitness technology. This Sportcraft treadmill features 18" x 50" walking deck, wireless heart rate monitor transmitter, dot matrix display window with racetrack 0-10 M.P.H. digital controls and motorized incline up to 1.5" or 10% in 0.5% increments. This Sportcraft treadmill provides a 2.5 horsepower motor and 4 factory pre-programs with thousands of variations. Programmable time and distance with auto shutoff, cushioned wheels, unit folds and locks for storage 300lb are some other features of this model. It offers a 90-day warranty.

The Sportcraft treadmill called the Power Swing II offers users a great aerobic workout, enabling them to not only work out their lower body by walking, running or jogging, but they can also get an excellent upper body workout.

Finally, the Sportcraft treadmill model Tredex 6 is great for really fast runners, since it is the only Sportcraft treadmill capable of letting users to run 12 miles per hour. It also includes six factory programs.

Before buying a Sportcraft treadmill it is a good idea to consider the purpose for which the treadmill will be used for. If users desire a lot of variance in their workouts and want to see how far they have walked/ran, how much fast, how many calories burnt or heart rate, then Sportcraft treadmill is ideal for them. Sportcraft treadmill offers a lot of preset program options and displays to monitor lot many things during workouts.

Users can enjoy a convenient gym quality workout at their own homes and in their own time. Sportcraft treadmill enables users to save outrageous fitness club fees and avoid going to overcrowded workout rooms.

Buying a Sportcraft treadmill is a great investment in an individuals health.

Salsa dancing is emerging as a refreshing replacement for conventional aerobic exercises. Classes based on the fiery music and movements of Salsa, Mambo, Cumbia, Merengue and more are starting to get people interested in Salsa dancing, while at the same time giving them a pounding workout.

Salsa music first appeared in the 1960s as a rhythmic fusion, birthed in the cultural melting pot of New York City. Combining Cuban Son with Guaracha, Montuno and Guaguanco, it also has a strong Puerto Rican Plena, Bomba and American jazz influence that mellows the smoking urban sound.

Salsa’s popularity began to percolate beyond the borders of the Latin neighborhoods in the early Seventies, spreading into New York's ballrooms and dance halls. Although somewhat formulized when practiced by those who favor profession competitions, salsa dancing in its most traditional form is typically spontaneous and extremely energetic. Dance movements alternate between the very slow and the furious, an embodiment of its lively musical style.

From a strictly athletic point of view, a night of dancing is a superb workout. It merges aerobic and anaerobic training, working your stamina and leg strength. Any kind of dancing is a great way to build the perfect body shape. The continual movements build up aerobic stamina while steadily burning calories over the course of the evening. This helps to strengthen and tone your legs at the same time you lose weight. But salsa excels at this.

Experts say that dancing salsa can burn up to 10 calories a minute, without the negative side effects of high impact exercises such as running. You can learn salsa dancing in the privacy of your home or in a studio, with or without a partner and it’s a fitness program that can easily be integrated into your social life. By using salsa dancing to get fit, you will not only look great, but you’ll have no excuse not to get out more and improve your social life.

The sudden bursts of frenzied dancing in Salsa also can help to improve the anaerobic fitness essential to sports like sprinting, swimming and basketball. Equally important to the aerobic paybacks are the improvements in flexibility and dexterity, a commonly overlooked facet of fitness. Elasticity from dancing will help your swiftness, power and co-ordination by growing your overall range of motion.

When you think about it, dance is actually the most natural form of exercise around. It is also a lot more fun. Life is too short to waste on regimented aerobics, spinning and step classes. Put some spice in your fitness regimen and become a Salsero!

Are you looking for a diet plan that helps you lose weight, then you should look for the help of a diet buddy. A diet buddy is a friend or co worker who your partner with to help each other lose weight. Many fitness experts know that if you have to account for your actions to a friend and yourself you are much more likely to stick to it and successfully lose weight.

Picking a diet buddy isn’t hard but it isn’t easy either. You need to find someone who you can trust and who is honest with you. You need someone who will tell you the two big Macs you had for dinner last night wasn’t a good choice, but won’t tear you apart either. You should find a person who has similar weight loss goals. If you want to lose 15 pounds and your buddy wants to lose 65 you aren’t that compatible. You should avoid choosing someone you live with if possible. The constant interaction and monitoring will make you feel like your every move is being watched. Instead try to choose a co worker or close friend to help you out.

You should also choose a diet buddy who you will see regularly. A really great strategy is to meet at the gym every morning and go for breakfast afterward. This way you can compare and talk about what’s going on and how you are progressing. If breakfast doesn’t work lunch is another good alternative. If you have a regular lunch date it will be much easier for you to say no when the office goes for Buffalo wings and nachos every Friday.

You and your diet buddy should set goals and rewards for each other. When you hit a weight goal go out and celebrate. Celebrate by shopping for a new outfit that shows off your weight loss, not by going out for a cheeseburger and milkshake. Remember you and your buddy are working together to help each other reach your goals you aren’t competing with each other. If you can shop for a new dress size or bathing suit don’t be smug about it to your diet buddy. Be supportive and help them, realize everyone’s body is different and some people take longer to lose weight.



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