Ideas to kick-start your journey toward healthy body and finances
According to a study released in January of 2020 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all 50 states and territories had more than 15% of adults who were physically inactive.
Respondents were classified as “physically inactive” if they responded “no” to the following question:
“During the past month, other than your regular job, did you participate in any physical activities or exercises such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise?”
Here are a few scary highlights from the CDC:
- The South (28.0%) had the highest prevalence of physical inactivity, followed by the Northeast (25.6%), Midwest (25.0%), and the West (20.5%).
- In 7 states (Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi), and 2 US territories (Puerto Rico, and Guam), 30% or more of adults were physically inactive.
- In 39 states, 20% to less than 30% of adults were physically inactive.
Physical Health & Financial Fitness
Like maintaining your physical health, finances fitness takes consistent effort and discipline.
Let’s share some ideas to kick-start the journey toward healthy body and finances. So, get your sweatbands and dolphin shorts on, and let’s get to work.
Moderation is Key
You hear it all the time: The secret to a healthy diet is moderation. Think about the 90% principle, which means that 90% of the time, you eat healthy (whole or minimally processed) food, and reserve the 10% for anything else your heart desires, like chocolate covered pretzels.
Trying to cut yourself off altogether is a recipe for disaster. Without moderation, people become more likely to give up because it is too difficult to resist all the goodies you love.
The same thing goes with your finances. How many times have you said “I’m going to stop eating out,” or “no more Starbucks for me,” only to find yourself giving in to the next invitation? You can allow yourself a little treat, but set a dollar limit to it. When you’re out of that money, you’re done. Keeping yourself within limits allows you to strategically plan for other purchases and savings for goals.
Focus on Your Weakness
The parts you avoid need the most work. There are probably body parts that you avoid dealing with because they’re your least favorite. These spots are your weakest and need the most of your attention.
One sound strategy is to take care of these areas first, twice a week. For many, we hate working abs, but we could get them out of the way first thing in our workouts, so we don’t spend our whole session dreading exercising our stomach muscles.
When it comes to finances, tracking spending is most people’s least favorite chore. But throwing a blanket over it doesn’t make it go away. Check in on your spending on a weekly basis. Use a simple excel spreadsheet or a budgeting app to keep yourself accountable, and set automatic transfer from your paycheck into a savings account.