What is the link between finance and fitness?
Changing a behaviour is as psychological as it is physiological. In a financial setting, you would have heard of the term “high risk, high returns”. The same can be applied to a physical setting, based on individual character, timeframe and/or appetite for results.
High risk, high returns is to adjust all factors at the same time including; food, exercise, sleep, stress and supplementation which will potentially yield quicker and more dramatic results. However, employing this method may result in what we call a “rebound”, when the individual returns back to where they originally started.
Low risk, steady returns is to start with the easiest task first such as eating more vegetables during dinner or going for a run on Saturday or getting more sleep during the weekends or simply take 5 minutes to focus on breathing. Choose ONE option that is the easiest to adjust, and stick to it for at least 21 days before adding a new habit. Cons of employing this method is that results are usually slow and one may lose motivation before they see results.
So which method would you choose? There is no right or wrong, choose the one that you feel is right.
Now we have categorised the next steps according to 2 different levels, health and fitness.
You may be thinking: “Isn’t being fit the same as being healthy?”
Think again.
Health is defined as the state of being free from illness or injury.
Fitness is defined as the condition of being physically fit and healthy.
One may be super fit such as sporting six packs, having crazy physical attributes but may have poor health parameters and poor eating habits. Another person may be in great health but not fit. In this case, who do you want to be?
Either way, understand that getting either healthy or fit is a continuous journey, it’s never a “lose weight quick” gimmick.
Again, you can employ a high risk, high returns method to see quick results during the first two months, and use that momentum to continue your journey. Alternatively, to focus on ONE habit and keep building upon.
Always keep in mind that you should aim to build upon a solid foundation of health, laying bricks upon bricks, no matter the methods being used.
