It’s difficult to ignore the fact that we are all currently experiencing the effects of a significant financial squeeze.
At times like this many of us will reassess our outgoings; looking at monthly direct debits and thinking about ways to cut down on grocery spends and luxury purchases – even turning the thermostat down a degree or two to save on energy.
Often during a period of financial analysis, fitness and exercise can become an unwitting casualty.
Personal Training is so much more than a leisure activity
It’s easy to think of Personal Training as an ‘unnecessary luxury’ when you are making tough decisions on your spending, but it’s arguably something you need even more when times are tough.
When you train you are addressing more than just your fitness. You are setting aside time for yourself to focus on your own personal goals and, at the same time, improving and protecting both your physical and mental health.
There are few activities which can match Personal Training in terms of offering long term return. You are investing in your future, making sure that you will be fit and healthy to make the most of life as you age, as well as getting the maximum from life in the present. Being in good shape puts you in the best position to fight off illness, avoid disease and remain mentally positive and alert.
There have been many studies carried out in the last decade which show strong links between a good level of fitness and fewer days of sickness amongst employees. In fact, a study carried out by the British Journal of Sports Medicine as early as 2006 showed that people who regularly played sports took had around 20 days less sick leave over a 4 year period when compared with their non-sporty colleagues. (link for article is https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2492021)
The priceless benefits of a regular fitness programme
Aside from warding off illness, training has also been shown to result in a number of other major health benefits, including: -
It’s very difficult to put a cumulative ‘financial gain’ against these proven positive side effects of exercising. It is, however, easy to see why stopping a regular training regime which offers such significant benefits - based on its monthly cost could alone - be deemed as a false economy.
A bonus reduction in food spending
The price of food is something which regularly hits headlines. There’s no denying that the cost of the weekly shop has risen dramatically and can subsequently be a substantial strain on the household budget.
When you enlist the services of a Personal Trainer, you will receive guidance on healthy eating – most probably you will have your own tailored nutrition plan. As well as fuelling your body in all the right ways, this healthy eating regime makes planning your daily and weekly menus so much easier.
Knowing exactly what you are going to have every day means you can shop smarter, cut out the costly convenience options, buy in just the right quantities and waste far less.
I one hundred percent understand what a difficult time this is for many everyone. On top of recovering from one of the strangest times ever, we’re now all being hit with price hikes in just about everything we buy. There will be people who will have to cut everything from their budgets except the bare essentials and I respect that, but I urge those who can afford to maintain their fitness regimes to do so – and continue to reap the long-term benefits training unquestionably offers.
