Experience EXERCISE EXPENSE
Health is Free Yet, Maintainance does Cost coz illness is far costlier
*Don’t let your fitness goal dent your financial health*
Staying healthy is important but ensure you don’t overspend and harm your finances
Focus on your fitness, but make sure you spend within your means and take care of your financial goals
Overall awareness for fitness and wellness in the last two to three years has been high, People are following systematic workout routines and diet patterns through apps and paid broadcast mediums too.
It is good to be conscious of your health, but being fit can come at a steep cost. There are expensive gym memberships to pay, apart from the cost of organic and healthy food, nutritionists, fitness apparel and gadgets, supplements, and so on. If you are not careful about each head, all the expenses put together could take a major toll on your finances.
On average, people spend four X figured amount a year on their fitness regime, including gym membership, food and nutrition, fitness apparel and supplements.
Functional fitness, which are group exercises without the use of machines, has picked up. Some 20% of fitness users today go for functional fitness, a rise of 10% from five years ago. Many consumers are also moving away from conventional machine-based workouts and enrolling for body weight workouts, mixed martial arts, yoga, dance-based workouts like Zumba, and so on. The more formats you go for, the more expensive your overall fitness regime can become, especially if you enrol for each of the activities separately.
*Take control*
Staying physically fit is essential, especially due to the sedentary lifestyle people in urban areas typically lead. However, it is important to ensure that your physical fitness doesn’t come at the cost of your financial fitness.
It is a good idea to plan and budget your fitness expenses. Keep in mind your cash flow and other discretionary expenses. Consider if you can give up something to partially fund this new requirement.
While supplements or food plans may not be very expensive, be careful about big-ticket expenses like long-term gym subscription, equipment or gadgets. Analyse how essential these are for your fitness regime, and invest in them only if it makes sense. Before you buy equipment or a fitness gadget, it is important to determine if this item is absolutely essential and if you will continue to use it for the long term. For example, if you have taken up cycling, continue for six months before buying a really expensive one. Further, in these six months, save for the big purchase instead of relying on your credit card. The waiting period will help ensure that you are buying something because you really need it and paying for it through your savings.
```But what about people who use such expenses as tools to discipline themselves? For someone who is lazy, it may make sense to pay a higher amount for a shorter period just so that you can confirm that you can make getting up early and spending the required time in the gym a habit. Make small investments so that you do not regret making the wrong choices.```
*Spend smartly*
There are several ways to reduce your expenses on fitness. If you engage in multiple workout formats, go for fitness centres that offer several services under one roof. If you spend regularly on health food, look for online subscription plans to lower your expenses. Spending on excessive accessories is an area that can be curtailed. Also, home-made food can be very economical if you have a limited budget. Sign up only for things that interest you. Sometimes, people get overenthusiastic and sign up for many things like classes, supplements, meals, etc. It is best to first try out service for a few weeks before taking a long-term subscription. If you are not using a particular membership or service, then stop paying for it too. When the same things are done over and over, the process, product, and experience become stale. Sometimes you need to force yourself out of that state to Keep it fresh. Walk, Run, use local parks with open-air gym, Learn to do YOG properly at home, do the daily household chorus, . . . = Be Active EveryOne; every day, EveryWhere ...
*MODERATION IS THE KEY*
A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness. - Albert Einstein