Are you investing in fitness?

When you are or aren’t into fitness, do you realize you are or aren’t prepared for two types of life scenarios?

1.      Predictable 2. Unpredictable

Let me explain how.

When we set aside money every month, in the financial terminology, it’s called an SIP- systematic investment plan. It’s basically to prepare our future for situations most likely such as marriage, children’s education, retirement, vacations etc. We also pay a premium every year for an insurance plan to safeguard ourselves against risks such as death, disability, illness. Excellent planning. How well have financial and insurance companies sold us this concept which is great.

With the same logic, what sort of safeguards have you ‘invested’ in to prevent lifestyle diseases. The only investment is a minimum of 150 minute fitness regime every week to stay fit and healthy. If you don’t have the time and intent, you are in for a major loss which includes not just poor health in the long run but also those that impact daily routine such as poor energy levels, an unattractive personality (not looks), dependence on medicines starting at an early age with a compounding increase year on year.

While we all know the value of our financial investments, what value have you placed on your own body and how much are you investing in it to keep it up and running? As you grow older, the money you’ve invested multiplies but the same money without a good level of fitness would be spent on keeping the fire alive. (Unfortunately) Life expectancy levels have also increased which means if you do live long, it would be an early and prolonged old age, so living long doesn’t matter if you do not have a healthy life. If you do not invest in fitness today, you are setting yourself unprepared for a predictable scenario like this.

Imagine any of these situations: a natural calamity  such as flood, earthquake where you need to pick yourself and also your family, a fire breaks in your high rise and you need endurance skills to survive, your car breaks down in a remote spot at dusk and you must walk fast or run to the nearest human establishment, you spot a group of thugs and the only option is to run as quickly as you can. I understand all of these situations may seem quite unlikely and you might laugh them off. Agreed, my question is what if this happens, what are your chances of survival? It’s just like the question the insurance sales man asks, what if it happens, are you prepared? Similarly, are you fit enough to help yourself from such situations, or let’s say such unpredictable situations?   

So, when are you investing in fitness?