By Scott Elliott (Kool Body Personal Training) & Daniel Rodriguez (Dr. Budgets)
This month we are doing a joint blog post with Scott Elliott with Kool Body Personal Training. We are each sharing our perspective on 5 Ways Healthy Habits Save You Money from a health and wealth standpoint. Here are the five habits:
Eat Your Breakfast
Scott: Most of us are in such a rush to get out the door and to the office, that we often neglect breakfast. Instead of eating breakfast, we opt for coffee and perhaps add a carb to that. Eating breakfast will bring you a sustained boost of mental and physical energy. Skipping breakfast leads to adrenal crash; which we then artificially support with caffeine. The saying “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” has a lot of truth to it. As you sleep, the cortisol hormone increases, which put us into REM (deep) sleep. When we wake up, the cortisol levels continue to rise and will eventually begin to put stress onto our adrenals. The only way to level out this increase in cortisol levels is to eat a balanced breakfast. This simple act will increase our mental and physical energy throughout the morning, with no mental crash.
Daniel: Breakfast in the morning can be something as simple and inexpensive as eggs and whole grain toast, yogurt with granola, or a smoothie (my wife makes amazing smoothies in the morning!). This daily “breakfast ritual” can save you thousands of dollars over time compared to stopping at Starbucks for “coffee and a carb.” If you still need the caffeine fix, you could brew your own coffee at home (which is often better than Starbucks anyway) and enjoy it on your way to work.
Schedule Your Workouts
Scott: Studies show that regular exercise will help reduce the number of sick days you take by stimulating and strengthening your immune system. Regular exercise also reduces the risk of illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. The quote “Failing to plan is planning to fail” by Alan Lakein, highlights the importance of scheduling your workouts. Once scheduled, make sure they are a priority, like meetings for work. Make your workout time a non-negotiable appointment on your calendar.
Daniel: Consistent exercise will actually make you money because of the fewer sick days you will need to take. Depending on where you work, you could then use those unused sick days for something fun like a vacation or cash them out at some point. If you are self-employed, then that means less time away from your business, which means more money. Looking at it from a long-term perspective, if regular exercise prevents diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease for you, then that will save you thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of dollars in medical bills. Additionally, a monthly gym membership is only a waste of money if you don’t use it! If you schedule your workouts, whether at the gym or with a personal trainer, you’re making the most of the money you’re spending for those services.
5-Minute Meditation
Scott: Daily meditation will calm our brain, bring inner peace, and therefore, more focus and productivity to your job. Due dates, unexpected problems, or even mental fog all strip away the clarity and focus that we need to succeed in our daily tasks. Set aside 5 minutes each day to sit upright, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Each time your thoughts drift, bring yourself back to your breath, training your mind in the art of self-control, focus, and peace.
Daniel: Consistent meditation can lead to reduced stress, which can save you money in countless ways. If stress leads you to overeat, then meditation can save you money on food expenses. If stress leads you to shop to make yourself feel better, then meditation can save you money by preventing you from buying unnecessary things. If stress causes you to drive fast which leads to a speeding ticket… you get the point ?
3-Minute Workout
Scott: According to a 2014 Stanford Study, you can boost your creativity up to 60% by adding short bursts of activity throughout the day. Step away from the computer for a minimum of 3 minutes at a time and walk up a flight of stairs or take a walk outside. In addition, you will curb your levels of anxiety and depression allowing you to handle stress much better; stimulating your mood so you can get along with your co-workers and boss much easier.
Daniel: An increase in creativity can definitely make you money in the long-run. If you work for somebody, that could mean a faster promotion or a pay raise sooner. If you work for yourself, then an increase in creativity can lead to increased income ever more rapidly if you apply it in a way that makes you better or more efficient at what you do.
Surround Yourself with Like-Minded Motivated Fitness People
Scott: Working out with someone (or a group of people) will not only increase your level of accountability, but there is also a strong possibility of making new business connections, as you sweat it out with like-minded fitness people. You are all there putting in a strong effort to stay healthy, which will lead to a mutual level of respect for one another. Those are definitely people worth getting to know.
Daniel: Anytime you connect with like-minded people there is a good chance you will each benefit from that relationship. If you own a business, maybe one of those people becomes a client, which would lead to more revenue for your business. If you are an employee, maybe one of those people connects you to a job opportunity when you need it. Connecting with people who share similar goals and interests with you can lead to many rewards beyond money as well.
We hope you enjoyed our post on 5 Ways Healthy Habits Save You Money! If you want to learn more about Kool Body Personal Training, you can contact Scott at selliott@koolbody.com. If you want to learn more about Dr. Budgets, visit their home page or contact us.
Recent Comments