All of your investments don’t mean much, if you don’t have your health
Financial investment isn’t the only investment to think about
Your health is just as much a bank account.
When we talk about investments, we often think of the stock market or real estate. These investments are seen as a way to build wealth and create financial stability for ourselves and our families. But the hard truth is, all investments don’t mean much unless you have your health.
We often hear the phrase "health is wealth" and it couldn't be truer. A healthy body and mind allow us to live our lives to the fullest, with vitality, energy, and focus. On the other hand, chronic pain and illness can limit our ability to enjoy life, and can even lead to financial struggles.
Many people have a 30 year plan for their finances, but have no long-term plan for their health. Without our health, we can't fully enjoy the fruits of our labor or the benefits of our financial successes.
There are many parallels between the way we can think about health and finances.
The first thing we learn about our finances is that we need to spend money and save money: Your health is no different, but instead of money your health currency is Quality Time, we are forced to spend it, but how we live in the present can dictate how much time we can save for a high quality of life now and later in life.
Savings Account: This is a summary of your networth. Things like exercise, healthy eating habits, joy-based activities, sleep, and stress reduction are contributors to your “Networth” of physical and mental health . Everyone knows the term “you need to save for a rainy day” The same thing applies to your health because, just like finances (i.e. recession can happen), unexpected hardships (trauma, disease, illness, injury) can happen to anyone, but your ability to be resilient when times are tough can be dependent on what you have saved in your health savings account.
So let’s go over how health can apply to some common financial terms:
ROI (Return on Investment): Investing in your health can yield significant returns, just like a sound investment can lead to financial gain. But, unlike financial investments, the best thing about health investment is, that at a minimum, just doing exercise and eating well are basically guaranteed to yield you a positive return. And if you hire someone to guide you through the process, (i.e personal trainer) to optimize your investment, your returns are much faster. A perfect example is my father doing personal training with me. His results in his first 6 weeks of training with me are significantly greater than what many people achieve in months or years exercising alone.
Debt: Poor health habits can be like debt, you are spending way more health currency than you are saving, which can decrease the quality of your time. And if you stay this path for long enough you can bankrupt your body and make it susceptible to illness or injury. By investing in your health, you can avoid accumulating "health debt" and prevent chronic conditions from limiting your potential to live a quality life.
Budget: Just as you budget your finances, you also need to budget your time and energy for healthy activities such as exercise, meal planning, and self-care. You NEVER hear anyone say “I don’t have time to go to work” It sounds ridiculous, right? BUT the #1 excuse people use to not exercise, eat well or do self care activities is “I don’t have time” People have an objective view of money because it directly affects them in that moment. But since many people are blessed with a “rich” savings of time we become complacent about spending our time and energy on our health savings.
Retirement: Investing in your health can help you retire comfortably, free from the burden of chronic illnesses and the associated medical expenses. Just like you plan for financial retirement, you need to plan for your health retirement too. We can all agree that retirement is much more comfortable when you have a lot of money saved. But, It’s probably even more comfortable being able to enjoy those financial savings when you feel healthy.
Investment Diversification: Diversifying your investments is important for financial stability, and similarly, diversifying your health investments is important for overall wellness. Investing in a variety of healthy activities such as strength training, cardio, mobility training, and stress-reducing activities can yield significant physical and health benefits. But how to balance your resources into those investments is not so clear.
Inflation: The magnitude of our health decision’s increase incremently as we age. Bad decisions in our 20’s can be forgiving and less detrimental than if you participate in those behaviours in your 60’s. Our health currency becomes more important with every year that passes. By investing in your health, you can slow down the inflation effects of aging and maintain your vitality.
Legacy: Your health is like a legacy you leave behind. By investing in your health, you can set an example for future generations and inspire others to prioritize their health and well-being.
People are willing to spend thousands of dollars on medications, physiotherapy, or even surgeries to try and alleviate chronic pain or look a certain way, but what if we just prevented these issues from occurring in the first place? We have UNDENIABLE PROOF that exercise, nutrition and self-care are preventative medicine. We need to shift our perspective to preventative medicine instead of reactive medicine where we are then willing to spend money and make time to “fix” problems when they appear.
I KNOW it’s hard to know what to do with the infinite web of information we see on the internet, that’s why it’s important to invest in a professional that can guide you through your health investments.
Spending money on a personal trainer may seem like a financial commitment, but it’s one of the biggest “bang for your buck” investments you can make in your whole life. It's important to remember that the cost of neglecting your health can be much greater in the long run. Chronic illnesses, pain, and other health issues can lead to disability, expensive medical treatments and missed work days, affecting your overall quality of life and financial wellbeing.
My favourite question to ask people is: If someone offered to you at the end of your life “ I will give you 5 more years to live if you pay me a few hundred dollars” Would you do it? Of course everyone’s situation is different, but the majority of people would take that deal. So why not invest a little money now for someone to give you the best shot at achieving this said scenario.
It's easy to get caught up in the pursuit of financial wealth, but we should remember that true wealth is a balance between financial stability and physical and mental well-being. Investing in our health is the best way to ensure that we can enjoy the fruits of our labor and live our lives to the fullest. So, let's prioritize our health and invest in ourselves and people who can help us achieve “health wealth”– it's the most important investment we can make.
