Editor’s note: Today, we continue our weekly series intended to arm you with the tools and information you need to start on the path toward better health and fitness in 2012. Find special health and fitness coverage every week in Life.

Like many baby boomers, consumer expert Kate Forgach remembers the glory days of Jane Fonda, leg warmers and the explosion of group exercise classes.

While it’s easy to reminisce about the crazy workout clothes and popular exercises that since then have been deemed unsafe (lat pulldowns behind the head), Forgach, 55, stresses boomers should not keep exercise a thing of the past.

More than ever, she says, this generation needs to stay active – for the many health benefits and beyond.

“The older you get, the more your muscles stiffen up,” says the Fort Collins, Colo.-based writer for www.kinoliinc.com, “and, with exercise, you can help keep arthritis pain at bay, as well as depression and anxiety.”

Forgach says her mantra is “pain means no gain.”

“I’m always looking for low-impact workouts that don’t hurt my wallet,” she adds. “Fortunately, there always seems to be a new exercise trend designed specifically for my generation.”

Here are five healthy and money-saving tips Forgach has learned on her journey to physical fitness:

1. Venture outside. “Walking is a big one out there, as well as bicycling,” explains Forgach. “The reason I like walking is it’s not as hard on the joints, and you can do it in tandem with someone else.”

She cites an article in AARP reporting overweight people who walk 30 minutes per day, five days per week can reduce their risk of diabetes by nearly 60 percent.

2. Create an at-home gym with exercise DVDs. “I do mat Pilates and yoga on my own,” says Forgach, who learned both practices from DVDs.

She urges people to look for DVDs that “are highly instructive” and give the proper cues: “abs drawn in” and “shoulders down,” for instance.

“I think mat Pilates is low stress and once you learn the format, it’s easy to do on your own,” she says, “and it’s so good for flexibility and the core.”

3. Visit the library. Forgach suggests exploring the library shelves and checking out fitness DVDs to find the instructor and exercise format that appeals most to you.

When you’re ready to start your DVD library and make a purchase, search online for coupons.

At www.CouponSherpa.com, a featured brand of the Kinoli Inc. family of websites, many online offers are available for Barnes & Noble.

(FYI: Fitness enthusiast Fonda’s latest DVD, “Prime Time – Trim, Tone & Flex” was on sale at the bookseller’s website Friday for $9.25. A 38 percent savings.)

4. Aim for variety in your routines. “It’s really important to mix up what you do,” says Forgach. “Sometimes I take a yoga class so I am not doing the same thing over and over.” This also prevents boredom and challenges different muscle groups.

5. Hit the garage sales. When Forgach says she and her friends shopped these sales years ago, they were looking to score a Presto Burger hamburger cooker, which made its debut in 1974. Nowadays, the group makes it a game to see who first can spot a set of weights.