You're tired. You're stressed out. You don't sleep well.
You know you need to lose weight and get healthy.
But you don't want to spend the money on a fitness program or a personal trainer.
Why should you when there are thousands of free videos on the web you can do? Why pay when you can do it on your own?
I get this a lot. My first question is:
Yes you CAN do it on your own. But ARE you doing it on your own?
Reason #1 you should invest in a fitness program or coach:
The truth is, if you aren't already exercising on your own. If you've never successfully exercised on your own, then you probably won't do it on your own. At least not long-term.
And you know what? That's ok! We all have strengths and weaknesses. We're all GREAT at some things and not so great at others. We enjoy some activities and we hate others.
If exercise isn't something you enjoy. It isn't something you'll make a priority on your own then it's totally ok and understandable that you may need to pay a fitness trainer or coach to design a program for you and KEEP YOU ACCOUNTABLE.
Now, let's talk cash....
The cost to join my program ranges from $89-$600/month depending on the type of training you do (group classes vs semi-private) and the number of times per week you exercise. That equals $1068 - $7200/year.
Reason #2 you should invest in a fitness program or coach:
Does it feel like sticker shock? Let's compare it to the costs you can expect to experience if you DON'T get healthy....
Estimates of the medical cost of adult obesity in the United States (U.S.) range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year (American Diabetes Association.
The majority of the spending is generated from treating obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among others. (George Washington University)
American spend $3.8 trillion in healthcare expenses every year (can you believe that?), with 90% attributed to chronic conditions and mental health issues. (Centers for Disease Control)
People with diagnosed diabetes incur average medical expenditures of $16,752 per year, of which about $9,601 is attributed to diabetes (American Diabetes Association).
Yes, you can read that again $16k PER YEAR!
Suddenly, $1098 seems much more doable.
Figures like these are frustrating to health pros like myself, because so many chronic conditions are completely preventable with a healthy diet and exercise. Yet we pound our heads against walls trying to convince people to do it!
So if you're using cost as an excuse, well, stop. Unless you have a spare $16k/year to spend on healthcare costs related to diseases like diabetes, I think you can look through your budget and find a way to pay $89/month for 2 fitness classes per week. Can you do it?
Coach Erica