When you think about what creates financial success, what comes to mind? Good money habits? A smart savings plan? Investments? These are all part of the equation, but I bet you weren’t expecting your own physical wellness to play a part in the health of your bank account!
Besides the obvious lack of as many medical costs, your physical wellness has a bigger effect on your finances than you might imagine. This is why taking care of yourself physically and mentally just might mean big things for your bottom line.
5 Correlations Between Physical & Financial Health
1) Stress and Anxiety
Those who have a poor financial life are shown to be less healthy physically due to the stress and anxiety their financial situation brings on. This can lead to unhealthy habits like a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, overeating, and other issues like high blood pressure and difficulties sleeping. Money is one of the biggest causes of stress and anxiety in our society. When we don’t have a handle on our finances, it can spill over and affect our physical wellness, too.
This can affect our spending habits (buying less healthy foods) and our behavioral patterns (withdrawing, turning to bad habits).
On the flip side, exercise has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety through the chemicals released in the brain. Endorphins help manage stress, which can help us perform better in the workplace, which can lead to overall greater financial wellness.
2) Mental Acuity
People who are physically fit have less stress and more energy, can absorb and retain information better, and have increased cognitive abilities due to increased blood flow to the brain. What does this mean for your bank account? It means that you’re a better worker when you work out. You’re sharper, more alert, better at problem-solving, and more likely to snag that promotion.
This isn’t a one-off benefit to working out, either. Studies have shown that exercises like running can have long-term brain benefits that can prevent degeneration of brain cells, keeping you sharper longer.
3) Sick Days
One of the more obvious benefits to being physically fit and eating well is simply a lack of sick days. While everyone gets sick now and then, you won’t be as prone to get knocked down by random bugs as the next guy when you’re powered up on vegetables and vitamins. Fewer sick days means more pay, more productivity, and better performance. That adds up to money in your pockets when you’re paying less for doctor’s visits and medication and holding onto pay you'd otherwise miss out on.
4) Long-Term Cost Savings
What about long-term cost savings? You save money in the short-term when you don’t get sick as often. But in the long-term, you can save a lot of money when you are preemptively working against disease. Regular exercise can stop things like arthritis, osteoporosis, heart disease, high blood pressure, and mobility issues from coming your way.
You can cut not only the costs of dealing with these medical concerns but even some insurance costs, too. Over the course of your life, being active can severely reduce your healthcare costs.
5) Competitive Spirit
As an endurance runner, I see an inherent similarity between someone whose eyes are on the prize of running a 10k and someone who is saving up for their first investment purchase. Financial wellness and physical wellness have in common this spirit of endurance. There is the need for tenacity, and that energy feeds one off of the other. I find that active people who embrace their goals set in their fitness routines are just as dedicated to their financial goals as well.
The same principles translate beautifully.
While being physically fit may not necessarily translate into money in your pocket, the way that exercise benefits your mind and your body ultimately equips you with the advantage and ability to better earn and hold onto your finances.
The value in that really can’t be understated. Being active and living a healthy lifestyle can create a profound advantage in your professional working life. If you want a healthy bank account, it just might start with a healthy you.
Have you found that you perform better at work when your habits are healthy? Share your experience in the comments.