Exercise is mentally and physically healthy and the benefits of exercise are endless. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard this before.
What might not be so obvious is the connection between exercise and managing money. Those who exercise put themselves in a much better position to save, invest, and handle their money than those who don’t. Here’s why.
Psychological Benefits
The biggest differential factor between a person who is good at managing money and a person who isn’t is psychology. A person who is bad at managing money will tend to make quick, emotional decisions that tend to be illogical and short-term oriented. If we don’t have control of our emotions, we don’t have control of our money.
So what’s a good way to gain emotional stability? Exercise! Exercise helps us be more emotionally stable and less likely to make rash decisions. This means better management of our finances.
The more we can avoid making financial decisions out of fear the better off we are likely to be. We also don’t want to make financial decisions out of greed. It’s easy to see that shiny new car in the parking lot we can’t afford and be sucked into buying it. Having emotional stability helps avoid these unwise decisions.
Energy Benefits
Studies have shown that exercise can increase energy levels. When we have more energy, we have more time and ability to do productive things, like managing our money.
It’s easy to be lazy, procrastinate, and avoid making that wise investment when you’re tired all the time. But when your energy levels are high, you have no excuse not to make that next investment, put your savings in the right account, be more careful about your spending, and so forth.
Research Backs It Up
Studies have shown that those who exercise on a regular basis can earn up to 9% more than those who don’t. By regular exercise, we’re talking about working out for at least 3 hours a week. It’s a number all of us can manage.
Too old for exercise? There’s no such thing. Consult your doctor for safe and effective exercises that suit your health profile. There are options for everyone.
It’s certainly easier to manage your personal finances when you have more to manage. And who doesn’t want more to manage?
Momentum
Last but not least, exercise puts one in a productive mindset. It feels good to finish a nice workout session. So good, in fact, that you want to keep accomplishing more. Like studying to build a side income or researching a new investment! Accomplishment breeds accomplishment. It’s time to get on that virtuous cycle!
It doesn’t matter if you join a gym, work out in a home gym, or simply follow a basic exercise app. The important thing is that you do something. The benefits of exercise are just too good to ignore. So start building some momentum now and break a sweat. Your personal finances just might thank you for it later!
