For many years, researchers have tried to draw the connection between health and wealth. It's been stated that the healthier a person is, the more wealth they can attain. In fact, according to a Florida State University psychology professor [1], exhibiting self-control in one area of a person's life affects others, so if you build up discipline in your eating habits and workout routines, you can gain the discipline needed to manage your money better. Sounds logical, right? But what if you're looking to go beyond just managing your money better? How can you build wealth by staying healthy? Keep reading for five ways that your health can help to increase your net worth.
1. Keeps Your Brain Sharp
Success is not a matter of chance or luck; it's based on hard work, dedication, and the ability to execute the right decisions at the right times. Whether you work a corporate job or are an entrepreneur, many of the business decisions you make will require that you have a sharp analytical mind. Feeding your body the right nutrients is vital in providing your brain with the nourishment it needs to function at its full capacity. Conversely, feeding your body the wrong things can make you sluggish and slow down your ability to make the right decisions needed to succeed, survive, and thrive in business.
2. Gives You More Energy
For the most part, building wealth and maintaining a level of success takes more than working 40 hours a week. At the end of it all, you may be feeling fatigue and want to take a power nap to recoup just to find yourself even more tired than when you began. Well, according to WebMD [2], a walk or light jog may be better than a nap for boosting energy and fighting fatigue. Other studies have also shown that morning workouts are best because they help your body produce more adrenaline at the beginning of the day, which helps you power through your routine to give you more energy throughout the day.
3. Keeps You Out of the Hospital
I may be stating the obvious, but there is no way you can build wealth and increase your net worth if you're sick. The foods you decide to eat and the amount of exercise you do will have a direct effect on your health. Eating right and exercising will not only keep you out of the hospital, but it will also keep you away from needing to take medications that usually have many side effects, possibly including fatigue (among other things that are counter to what you need to be on top of your game).
4. Teaches You Perseverance
As stated earlier, maintaining good habits in one area may trickle down to other areas in your life. It's no secret that on your journey to greatness many obstacles may try to stop you from achieving your goals [3]. However, you must keep going when the going gets tough. This level of perseverance can be taught and trained. Will Smith [4] once said that conquering the treadmill is necessary to conquering life. He explains that the same mind that tells you that you can't go on while you are running is the same voice that tries to convince you to give up in life. If you learn how to silence that voice on a daily basis, you can build the grit that you need to get through some tough days in business.
5. Relieves Stress
Have you heard of endorphins? If not, endorphins are among the brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters, which serve as natural pain and stress fighters. Endorphins cause what people who run refer to as a "runner's high." It's literally a body chemical that makes you feel happy and less stressed. And do you know how to activate your endorphins? You guessed it: the right food and exercise! Maintaining a good diet and workout regimen will not only keep you strong physically, but mentally as well. We all know what stress can do to our decision-making abilities, and while we continue on our journey to building wealth, we want to make sure that we stay in the right mindset. A stress-free life can literally and figuratively increase your net worth. So next time you need a reason to improve your diet or exercise routine, remember that health is wealth!
Luvleen Sidhu is the president, cofounder and chief strategy officer at BankMobile [5], the largest and fastest growing digital bank in the country helping the underbanked, millennials, and middle-income Americans have an affordable, effortless, and financially empowering banking experience.