Finances and Fitness
Guest post: FDL, BSN
What do your money, finances, and your fitness level have to do with each other?
Let’s see…..
Planning an early retirement? Or is it: Oops! Economy tanked and I’ll have to work waaaaay longer than I ever thought. Whether you’re 20, 30 , 40 or on up the age escalator, will your body be there for you?
Lose weight and exercise.
Health and fitness goals top the resolution list year after year.
Why do it now, after all these years of saying “I need to exercise!” Indeed, why start now?
- You’re a year older.
- You’re probably 5-10 pounds heavier than when you set this same goal 1 year ago.
- After the hit your retirement plan took over the last 10 years, you just might need to work longer. Physically, will you be able to do that?
- Maybe you’re the exception…. You’ve planned your retirement savings like a genie peering into a crystal ball. Your retirement will find you living comfortably. Buuuut, you get winded walking to your car. Forget the gangplank of a cruise ship or the hills of Rome. Your heirs will miss you-but will enjoy your savings you’ve worked so hard to amass.
There are more reasons than ever to take responsibility for your health and fitness.
Only one in 7 US workers is a normal weight and without a chronic health problem. The Mayo Clinic reports that the stressful job market and slack economy compounds the problem of obesity and chronic health conditions, especially heart disease and depression. Obesity is conclusively tied to the increased incidence of major chronic, debilitating diseases.
Companies and fitness
Waiting on YOU!
Companies like Duke Energy and Harley Davidson recognize the importance of holding on to skilled workers. They provide stretching programs before shifts begin. Sure there are younger, cheaper workers out there who could be hired in to fill the job-but hiring and training new workers costs more than keeping older ones. Physically demanding jobs bring special fitness needs with them. Corporate suits now recognize the need to keep worker’s bodies in shape. It saves them money….
You and Your Job
Working until you’re ready to retire is your goal. Retiring fit enough to enjoy your freedom is smart. Many jobs, especially health care jobs, require a certain level of fitness.
My last hospital nursing job was a wonderful gig. I worked on a fabulous new unit that covered a space as long as 3 football fields. Staffing attempted to keep each nurse’s patients grouped together, but miles of walking was required each day. After we moved into the new facility, many people began bringing their lunch. It took half your lunch break just to walk to the hospital cafeteria.
At the end of a grueling shift on a hospital floor or critical care unit, no one comes around and checks your blood pressure or pulse. Whether you have the energy to play with your kids or just collapse into bed, it’s your life.
Your fitness level is all on you.
No one makes you run a mile before you’re hired to work at most jobs. You and I take it for granted that the effort required is just that: required.
Like a fighter heading into the ring, get lighter on your feet and be prepared to tackle the challenges of your job.
There are plenty of health problems we can’t control. You are your genes, after all, but why make the problem worse by being overweight and unfit?
Come on!
- You show up for work on time (it’s required).
- You wear appropriate clothing (no one wants to look stupid/slutty?)
- You have to be fit to do your job (you need the money) and you’ve got a life outside work.
Just do the damn thing-you can you know. Inside, you know you can be successful!
Good luck!
Reader Question:
What are you doing different this year to try to meet your fitness goals? What works to motivate you? What made you decide, “Today is different?”
FDL, BSN is a frequent guest poster here at the Millionaire Nurse Blog-she works in the public health arena.
{photo credit: alankenghoe c.c.}
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Tags: financial reasons to stay fit, fitness and money, fitness motivations, keeping fit and your finances, what motivates you to stay fit
I seem to have found this out as well – eating healthy and exercising dont have to cost more, but to keep people from freezing while running outside and not eating beans and rice every night, the cost does inch up a tad.
You can certainly stay fit without spending a lot of money, but some people find they need the formal gym experience to stay motivated. Whatever floats your boat:)
Feeling good affects my outlook on life. It seems to permeate everything such as relationships, money, patience and work.
Fitness helps your whole outlook be more positive. No doubt!
I started running marathons last year (did three in twelve months!). I’m still overweight but smaller than most people around me. I feel more clear headed and have gotten more done in my personal life (my blog!) since beginning to focus on health. You’re correct, it’s an investment!
Cool, I was able to run one marathon before my knee and back said, no more. Loved it though. Enjoy it while you can.
We personal finance bloggers do focus most of our energy on money and savings for retirement that it is easy to forget the health needed to enjoy that money! Thanks for the good word.
Yes it’s easy to get focused on important stuff, and forget even more important stuff…
Fitness absolutely can impact finances, I agree. If people need to work to make money, yet have diminished energy and capacity to do it, it stands to reason that success might be more difficult. Worse, if fitness is bad enough, some jobs might not be possible. It’s best to give ourselves the best chance to succeed, by trying to watch our fitness. This is especially true as we get older.
It is amazingly difficult to perform at a challenging job without being in shape.
[...] Dean presents Fitness Affects Finances: How? posted at Dr. Dean’s TheMillionaireNurse.com Blog, saying, “There are more reasons than ever to [...]
Good points! I definitely feel better when I exercise and eat healthy. Nice connection between those things and saving money.
No doubt your fitness and health affect all aspects of your life! Thanks for dropping by!
I found a great goal organizer on the web that not only helps me plan and keep track of my fitness goals, it also has a journal built in. Whenever I’m going over my goals it’s easy to just click on my journal and away I go!