Excuses Around Fitness Are Losing You Money

Today’s blog post is brought to you by our client Courtney Jonsson.Courtney is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach. In August of 2020, she joined The Financial Gym in order to take hold of her finances and work toward the goal of opening her own fitness studio. In March of 2021, she opened Maiden Resistance, which is a women+ fitness studio that equips clients with weight training knowledge designed by the belief that the weight you lift holds more value than the weight on the scale. Maiden Resistance believes women belong in the free weight section and we encourage our clients to challenge their previous beliefs around personal strength. For further information about Maiden Resistance visit www.maidenresistance.com. Connect with Maiden Resistance by following @maiden.resistance on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

“I’m starting Monday!” Ahhhh… the age-old excuse for why you’re not in a fitness routine right now. We can put this excuse with “I don’t have time.” Let it live next door to “I have no motivation.” The funny thing is that you do have motivation to do some things. You’re reading this blog post right now, so I’ll safely guess that you’re motivated to change your relationship with money. The money that you have has been earned, so somewhere, whether it is out of pure necessity or the enjoyment you get out of work, you have found the motivation to make money.  Let’s start there. Money motivates you. How can you allow money to motivate your fitness routine then? By learning how your excuses around fitness are losing you money.

Excuses Around Fitness

• I can’t afford a gym membership.

• I don’t have time.

• I just don’t have the energy.

• I don’t have childcare.

• My program didn’t work.

• I’m too ______. (insert old, overweight, uncoordinated, out of shape, etc.)

• I don’t know what I’m doing.

• I need to lose weight fast.

Some of these excuses have run through your head, as I know they’ve run through mine. When I first started, I thought I couldn’t afford a gym membership, and I really didn’t know what I was doing. Long work days left me with no energy, and I hadn’t worked out since high school. Each one of these things were in my lineup of excuses, so I get it, but you’re losing money every time you tell yourself this.     

Ways Your Excuses Are Losing You Money

Your gym membership is under-utilized.

A lot of people just make donations to their gym without stepping foot in the door. Every month your account is auto-drafted and you just deal with it. In some cases, it is easier to deal with it, because canceling a gym membership can be a lengthy and irritating process, but we will get into that later on.

You bought all of the equipment, but never finished the program.

A lot of excuses fall under this category. Maybe you didn’t finish the program because you were too busy, didn’t have the energy, or you believed that you’re too ______ (insert adjective). Bailing on a program loses you money for obvious reasons. Your equipment and new workout clothes are just collecting dust. Sure, you could sell them, but you’ll never get all of your money back for them.

Your knowledge of fitness is minimal, therefore program and exercise selection is difficult.

It may be harsh to say that your lack of knowledge is an excuse, but it is. With the internet at our fingertips, you can learn anything you’d like. There isn’t an excuse to not have knowledge on a subject when we can access resources in an instant.

Chronic Disease as a result of not practicing a healthy lifestyle will cost you.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has stated that physical activity can prevent chronic disease such as type two diabetes, heart disease, and many forms of cancer. Physical activity can also help with depression and anxiety. By adopting an active lifestyle and eating healthy, you can prevent  medical expenses, as you move through life. One hundred and fifty minutes of physical activity is recommended per week. Check out the CDC Website for more information.

Ways to Invest in Your Health Without Wasting Money

View your health as an investment, not an expense.

It is easy to look at things as an expense, especially if it is a monthly bill we pay. A health routine is different. Being in a health routine is an investment, because you are maintaining the body you have so that it will last as long as possible. It’s just like doing regular oil changes on your car. You do it in hopes that your car will last as long as possible. You really like not having a car payment, so you take care of the car you have. It is the same with your body. If you don’t take care of it, more things break or go wrong, and then more money needs to be dumped into it.

Invest in a personal trainer.

If you’re a client of the Financial Gym, you know exactly how a trainer can partner with you in order to accomplish a goal. Allowing a personal trainer to show you exercises, and coach you on form, will allow you to become self-sufficient when exercising. Eventually, you will not need the personal trainer any longer. You’ll have the knowledge to complete a workout on your own.

Find a way to exercise that you love.

If you don’t enjoy cardio, then why are you paying for a Couch to 5k app every month? If you’re not into Crossfit, then why do you pay for it? There are so many ways to exercise and the right way to do so is the way that you love. There should be a nice mix of strength training and cardio in your routine, but cardio doesn’t have to be in the traditional sense. Find a way to get your heart rate up, and you’re golden.

Steer clear of quick fix programs and fad diets.

You may see results right away from a quick fix program or a fad diet, but these are not sustainable over a long period of time. Usually, when you complete or quit the program, you return right back to where you started. Avoid programs that have shakes or supplements attached to them, and research the company before buying from them. A lot of multilevel marketing companies sell programs and supplements. Falling into that trap is a whole other rabbit hole of wasted money.

Final Thoughts

The health and fitness industry can be really hard to navigate. There is so much good information, but also a lot of misinformation out there. If you’re not sure where to start, seek out a qualified professional. A lot of people call themselves a “coach,” these days, so be sure the professional you want to work with has credentials. Finding exercise that you love and viewing your fitness routine as an investment are two sure fire ways to save money in the long run.