The Cost of Fitness

In my (new) line of work, I often get questions that have to do with the cost of fitness. These discussions take many forms. Sometimes, we are talking about money. Sometimes we are talking about time. Sometimes we are talking about behavior modification. At the end of the day, I spend a good deal of time talking about the cost of fitness & I'd (surprisingly) like to spend a little more.

Here is my theory. EVERYTHING has a cost. Everything.

Obesity has a cost. Crumby diets have a cost. Low levels of physical fitness have a cost.

Don't think for one moment that it's inexpensive to keep buying new clothes in bigger sizes or something new because everything else makes you look fat. Don't think for one moment that restaurant food isn't far, far more expensive than home cooking. Where I live, beef costs more than vegetables. Don't think for one second that injuries related to obesity -- like the mystery fracture in your foot or leg or hip, the one you got from everyday movement or the breathing issues or the lethargy or the blood sugar problems -- are inexpensive. They most certainly are not.

Fitness also has a cost. You have to make time to work out. Of course, you have to make time to sit in front of the television & hit the drive through as well. You have to pay for at home workouts or gym memberships & these aren't cheap. Even free workouts like walking, running or biking take some level of financial investment for shoes and clothes, etc. If you research online resources, you'll be using time to do so. Time to read, understand, organize and implement your workout.

Convenience -- to both ends -- has a cost. Prepared foods have a price. Sedentary options - cable TV, video games, hours spent downing high calorie foods & drinks while you talk - have a price. Conversely, convenience for fitness costs money as well. Trainers save you planning and research while providing motivation and expertise, but they aren't free. At home DVDs - the good ones -- are created for maximum results in a prepackaged system, but that takes moolah. Bootcamps & group ex programs combine the benefits of both with the added plus of socialization, but -- you guessed it -- they take money.

Lastly, there is the issue of time. Let's face it, you didn't get out of shape and/or overweight by accident. It took decisions regarding activity & nutrition over a sustained period of time. Losing weight requires the same commitment. It will take time. When I was on a weight loss journey, I would tell myself that if I can lose this weight in half the time it took me to gain it, then that's a 200% improvement. Not too shabby.

Ultimately, the truth is that it all has a cost. In the end, you have to examine the payoff -- because you are getting something from whatever choice you are making, we are humans & that's how we are wired. I find myself listening to the folksy voice of Dr. Phil: "So how's that workin for ya?"

Until next,