We’ve got more than 90,000 reasons why you can’t afford not to.

Change is uncomfortable. Even changes we know will benefit us long term can be uncomfortable. Sometimes we use money or time as an excuse to not make these positive changes. The reality is, when it comes to our health, not making that investment today can cost us dearly for years to come in more ways than one.

Today we’re just talking about the cold, hard numbers of the potential financial benefits from investing in a healthy lifestyle. We’re not even talking about all the positive mental and emotional benefits from fitness. Or the piling evidence of improved cognitive function and aging from muscle mass. Or the drastic improvements in one’s quality of life. Or how all these benefits can ripple out into other aspects of our lives like improve our relationships and personal connections. Uh huh. Not today. No fluff. Let’s just talk numbers. The CDC website says that obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke combined are costing the healthcare system over $800 billion a year in medical costs and lost productivity on the job but how much is it costing you as an individual?

A healthy lifestyle can potentially save you around $100,000 when it’s all said and done

An article titled: Lifestyle Changes Could Save $92,000 in Medical Costs per Person summarizes the Lifestyle Medicine and Economics study here: “The study examined four individual patient cases of disease reversal achieved through intensive lifestyle changes and the associated reduction in health care costs. A substantial potential cost savings for both the patients and their insurance providers was identified in each case. For an adult male who lost up to 200 pounds after committing to a lifestyle change for six months, the potential savings in avoided discrete medical costs reached $92,000.” Note that this total doesn’t include any lost income from potentially missing work due to health complications and appointments.

Investing $50 or $100 a week on fitness training doesn’t look so expensive anymore compared to $92,000 in medical costs. To spend the equivalent $92,000 on fitness with $100 a week (or $400 a month) would take 19 years of regular training. If you only improve your health and fitness level 1% every week over those 19 years, you would be almost 1000% better. No kidding! It’s 988% better to be exact but still. Once again, we are not even talking about all of the other mental, emotional, and quality of life benefits that can be reaped from that almost 1000% improvement. Compare that 1000% health and fitness improvement over 19 years to the other scenario where you are paying the same amount in medical costs and procedures with significantly less than a 1000% health improvement. Unless you end up making the same lifestyle and fitness improvements, you will likely end up in nearly the same place as where you started, just with a lot more medical expenses and less to show for it.

Monthly medical expenses can also decrease

Other participants of the study also mentioned by improving their lifestyle they saw a decrease in their monthly medical bills. Their monthly prescriptions and health insurance went down and also sometimes grocery bills decreased from less eating out. One participant saw their yearly medical costs decrease from at least $7600 to $61. That’s a difference of spending $633 a month to around $5 per month. What could you do with that extra $633 a month combined with a higher quality of life? So, potentially, starting an adequate fitness program and improving your health and lifestyle habits can significantly decrease your monthly medical costs and also decrease, or even possibly eliminate entirely, larger medical costs later in life. It’s also worth noting that “plus size” clothing tends to cost more than “regular” sized clothing. This is due to the extra fabric and production costs in manufacturing. So moving into a smaller clothing size can decrease the cost of this basic and universal need. The numbers here will vary depending on the person.

Looking at it this way, the real question is not “is it worth it?” but “how can you afford not to?”

A healthy lifestyle and fitness investment can potentially:

• Reduce or eliminate the cost of some medical procedures, or treatments, or needs
• Reduce the cost of monthly medications and prescriptions
• Reduce the cost of health insurance
• Reduce the monthly food expenses, depending on the lifestyle
• Reduce the cost of clothes when moving from “plus size” to “regular” size clothing

The immeasurable benefits are potentially limitless

Yes, today we are focusing on numbers but most of the participants mentioned an improvement in their quality of life or their outlook on life from their improved lifestyle and health. Now, they may not be entirely quantifiable traits, but we’ve all experienced it for ourselves, when you feel better in your life, the way you show you up in life is better. This new found confidence, vitality, and enthusiasm can lead to better business or job opportunities and negotiations and also higher quality work output and productivity. While we don’t have hard numbers for these benefits, the financial benefit here is potentially limitless.

The case study cited is small but with over 70% Americans either overweight or obese with no end in sight, we can imagine that most people already are (or soon will be) carrying not only the extra pounds but the increasing financial and medical burden of lifestyle diseases throughout their lifetime.

You can be part of the special minority with more change in your pocket and pep in your step

The good news is that you can turn that tide today. At Concentric Fit, we have many resources, along with our effective, safe training and coaching, to support, guide, and educate as clients build their healthy lifestyle. We are welcoming people everyday ready to improve the quality of their life with a program that works for them, locally and remote.

There are also lots of resources online and excellent facilities, experts, and programs that you can utilize today. Even beginning with a simple daily walk every day this week can kick start that healthy lifestyle shift. And then try just eating whole foods the next week. And then add some resistance training. Add in good habits a little bit at a time and you won’t even notice as the unproductive habits no longer have a place in your life.

Save your wallet and save your life with an investment in your dream healthy, fit, and high quality life today.