Tag Archives: Health is Wealth

Your Health…a Long Term Investment

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Your health is an investment, not an expense. John Quelch

What would you call an investment that involves little to no risk, requires little money or capital to start, is available equally to every American, grows more valuable every year, is a proven career booster and can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars of extra savings over a lifetime?

It’s called good health.

August is National Wellness Month and a great opportunity to make an investment in your overall health and wellness, so you can do more of the activities you love now, and remain healthy enough to do the activities you enjoy in the future. Thus, it is essential that you view your physical, mental and emotional health as a long term investment, not an expense.

Think about all of the things you spend money on. Some things are critical to living such as food, a roof over your head, and clothes to wear. However, as a whole, you tend to spend money on some things that are unnecessary, and then think that you don’t have enough money to invest in and to manage your health.

Invest in your health for ‘health is wealth’

The biggest and most obvious reason that you should invest in your health is that you only get one body and mind in your lifetime. This means that keeping your body and mind. healthy should be your top priority.

Another great reason to take care of your body today is that you may not have taken the best care of it in the past. Whether it was all the process foods and sugary snacks you ate as a kid, or the one too many beers you had in college, most Americans could stand to make up for an unhealthy lifestyle in their past. The other reason you should invest in your health today is that the investment will pay off and compound in the long term. To paraphrase an adage…the best time to invest in your health was ten years ago and the second best time is today.

The best investment you can ever make is in your own health.

More than ever you must not only protect, but focus on improving your mental, emotional and physical health. It’s important that you find ways of improving your well-being and taking care of your health because it is an investment worth making.

One way to emphasize your health is to manage and measure your health.

Healthy aging

So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health. A. J. Reb Materi

The bottom line is that you should be spending at least as much time educating yourself and dedicating yourself to healthy lifestyles, exercise and diets as you do to maximizing your returns on investment.

References:

  1. http://yourqualitycareassociates.com/your-health-is-an-investment-not-an-expense/
  2. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/health-investment_b_909015

A Little Exercise Goes a Long Way

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“Exercise is a miracle ‘drug.”  Keri L. Denay, MD, lead author of an American College of Sports Medicine advisory that encourages Americans to not overlook the benefits of activity during the pandemic

Everyone either knows  or accepts that exercise is good for you. But not everyone knows just how good. When you see the multitudes of health benefits of physical activity, they can seem almost too good to be true.

The relationship between exercise and a healthy life is really dramatic, according to Consumer Reports.  Exercise really could be looked at as a fountain of youth. If you’re looking for something to extend your lifespan, it’s exercise. Patients who exercise regularly live longer and healthier lives than those who are more sedentary.

Health Benefits of Physical Activity

Stay active and fit – Diseases like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, are all dramatically reduced in patients who exercise regularly.

Moving your body has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, lower rates of many types of cancer and the risk of a heart ­attack, and improve overall immunity. It also helps build strength and stamina.

Exercising consistently can help prevent heart disease and muscle weakness; control and treat chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, and hypertension; increase bone and muscle strength; improve brain function and sleep; and boost mood and enhance your overall quality of life, says Dori E. Rosenberg, Ph.D., an associate investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute.

Even 30 minutes of exercise per week was more beneficial than none. The researchers concluded that the “majority of the protective effects of exercise against depression are realized within the first hour of exercise undertaken each week.”

And a whole lot of exercise may not necessarily be more beneficial for mental health. A large study published in The Lancet Psychiatry in 2018 found that those who worked out regularly had fewer days when they reported feeling stressed or depressed than their sedentary counterparts—and that people who exercised more than 6 hours a week felt stressed or depressed more often than those who did so between 2 and 6 hours weekly.

Start small. Increase time, distance, and intensity gradually. 

Small amounts of activity may cut dementia risk, too. Take, for example, a 10-year study involving people older than 65 that was published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. It found that those who were active three times a week for 20 minutes at a time reduced by 20 percent their chances of developing cognitive impairment severe enough to require moving to a full-time-care facility.

Furthermore, the physical activity can be made simple. For example, park your car further away to encourage yourself to walk, use the stairs when you can, or even take your phone calls on-the-go as you walk around the block.

Taking the time to stretch or move your body is known to boost immunity, promote a healthy weight, and generally improve your well-being.

Only about half of adults get the 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity (such as jogging) recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Build Exercise Into Your Daily Life

Picking a cue that turns exercise into a habit can help to you build a routine that you actually stick with. That could mean always jumping on the treadmill after you brush your teeth, or stopping at the gym on your way home from work.

Making a detailed, concrete plan rather than setting an overarching goal can also help you follow through, says Katherine L. Milkman, Ph.D., a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and co-director of the Behavior Change for Good Initiative.

Key Points

There are many important health benefits for health and longevity you can get from just 30 minutes of exercise, 5 days a week. It’s never too late to make regular exercise a part of your life. 

The type of exercise you do is not as important as the frequency and intensity of the exercise. So, whether you like to swim, bike, or run, as long as you do it 30 minutes, 5-days a week, the benefits will be the same.

Exercise helps in a number of ways. First of all, it keeps you mentally sharp. Second, it keeps you toned as far as your body, and it’s fun. It’s something that is enjoyable and you can do it with yourself, friends, anyone at anytime.

References:

  1. https://www.consumerreports.org/exercise-fitness/major-health-benefits-of-even-modest-exercise/
  2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/want-to-get-back-into-exercise-following-pandemic-lull-then-go-slow-and-stay-safe/2021/01/28/8c1a8dfe-5f4e-11eb-9061-07abcc1f9229_story.html
  3. https://www.consumerreports.org/exercise-fitness/how-to-get-active-again
  4. https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/videos/live-healthy/exercise
  5. https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/thrive-together/stay-active/better-workout-8-fitness-tricks
  6. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm#brain-health