The Tribune

By Ethan Quant

We have all heard the saying: "the best investment you can make is in yourself". Oddly enough, that normally is put in the context of education and personal and professional development. Still, I don't quite understand why people have a hard time investing in themselves when it comes to health, wellness and fitness.

I was one of those people who thought that personal training was too expensive, and that gym membership was unnecessary to reach my health, wellness and fitness goals. While this is true for some people, I realized for the majority of us who have either struggled, or are currently struggling with obesity, it's really just a cop out. We incessantly complain that it's too expensive and that we can't afford it. Surely, that kind of thinking only leads to inaction.

When I decided to really transform my body and life, I evaluated my unhealthy lifestyle and the money it cost me. This evaluation eventually led to me deciding to reallocate funds to a healthier lifestyle. You see, I didn't need more money. I just needed to repurpose what I was already spending on entertainment - things like going to the movies, meeting up with friends for drinks and the like, and put it towards my gym membership. Initially, I did group classes instead of personal training because it was less expensive. And when I couldn't do that, I worked out by myself or went jogging. I made it a priority to find less expensive ways for me to incorporate physical activity into my new lifestyle.

However, it got to a point where I needed the help of professionals, which led me to moving things around in my budget. Soon after, the gym became my sanctuary as working out was a top priority. Therefore, I made sure my gym membership was accounted for in my monthly expenses. I am a firm believer in the fact that we carve out the resources - be it time and/or money - for what we want. Really, it only comes down to a question of how bad we want to change our lives. What are you willing to sacrifice to make your health, wellness and fitness a top priority in your life?

I know that everyone's financial situation is different, but when I speak about investing in yourself, I don't just mean financially. Most certainly, you should invest the time, energy and effort as well. If you devote these resources to becoming the best possible version of yourself, you are essentially becoming better for everyone and everything else in your life.

Finally, there are a couple of things to consider when looking to make the investment in your health, wellness and fitness journey.

1. Look at how much money is already being spent on unhealthy behaviours now and reallocate them to new healthier behaviours. For example, instead of spending money at 'happy hour' on the weekend, join a group fitness class.

2. Look for ways to maximize your time to accommodate your new healthy lifestyle. Rather than scrolling through Instagram and Facebook past your bedtime, go to sleep an hour earlier so you can wake up refreshed to start off your day with a morning workout.

3. Get professional help, if needed. There is a reason why we seek professional help, and it's not always because we can't do it ourselves. Health, wellness and fitness professionals are trained to help people achieve their goals. Take full advantage of their passion and expertise. Just like everything else, you get what you pay for. But whoever you choose, make sure that you are getting value for the money you're spending.

If you need help navigating any aspect of your health, wellness and fitness journey, feel free to reach out to me directly. Always remember, at the end of the day, you have the power to be successful in health, in fitness, and in life!