Being healthy can put you in a state of complacency. When you’re in your prime, you may not see the immediate need to start healthy habits since you feel perfectly fine with your body anyway.
However, did you know that you can get more out of being physically fit? When you adopt healthy habits, you’re more likely to improve your financial standing too. Simply put, sticking to healthy ways of living results in better health and finances.
Here’s our own take on how putting these healthy habits into practice can also make a positive impact on your financial wellness.
- Start a food diary
Just like how you would use your journal, your food diary is where you log the food that you eat every meal, every day. As you do this regularly, you may start becoming more mindful about your food choices, which can also inspire you to make your own simple but healthy meals for a cheaper cost.
You can also include a food budget section in your food diary. This can be a good first step to improving your personal finance since, according to business management expert Peter Drucker, “You can't improve what you don't measure.”
By keeping tabs of how much of your money goes into food consumption, you're less likely to buy more than what you need or can afford.
- Bike (or walk) to work
The daily commute can be stressful and expensive. Traffic can get horrible, and getting stuck on the road for hours can snatch precious time away from your family and other worthwhile activities like working out.
Whether you're traveling by car or public means, you'll need to spend on transportation expenses like gas, parking, and fare. Multiply these for the number of days you have to go to work or school weekly, and then picture yourself saving that much money if you were to bike or walk to work (needless to say, this works if the location is within a reasonable distance from your home).
Aside from being an economical option to commuting, regularly moving and being active come with tons of health benefits. These include less body fat and more lean muscle, improved mental alertness, better production of happy hormones, and so many others.
- Start the day with breakfast
Skipping breakfast may be more of a lifestyle- than a health-related decision.
On busy days, it's more convenient to leave home in the morning without grabbing a quick bite so that you can start your day earlier. But, no matter how busy you are, breakfast needs to be the first in your day's agenda.
Nutritionists assert that eating a healthy breakfast makes you feel less hungry throughout the day, making it less likely for you to overeat. Not only is it an effective way to manage unhealthy cravings, but it also allows you to avoid unnecessary or impractical spending when you give in to those cravings.
- Brew your own coffee
Drinking coffee is good for your body and brain. Studies have proven that you can get more antioxidants from coffee than from any other edibles, such as fruits or vegetables.
As such, coffee can be your best protection against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other medical conditions.
Where to get your daily fix of healthy and delicious coffee? Right in your kitchen. Take some of your coffee beans and brew a reasonable amount for a whole day's consumption—two to three cups, perhaps. You can save so much more by drinking home-brewed coffee instead of ordering it from coffee shops.
- Say no to smoking
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide. With that said, giving up your tobacco consumption can save your life, not to mention your deteriorating bank account.
By not smoking, you won't need to shell out money to buy cigarette sticks or packs, which can add up in your daily expenses pretty quickly. Plus, living smoke-free makes you less prone to potential medical problems that can be costly to treat.
- Get enough shuteye
You need at least seven to eight hours of sleep every day for several reasons.
During sleep, your body recovers from the day's activities, so you'll have enough energy in the morning. It's also during sleep that the body produces compounds that strengthen your immune system. Plus, quality, uninterrupted sleep enhances your mental faculties.
The health and financial benefits of getting enough sleep can range from the more obvious ones like being less sickly and being able to tolerate stress more, to the seemingly trivial but equally important aspects of making good decisions regarding work, business, family life, investments, and so on.
Physical fitness and financial wellness work hand in hand
Hopefully, you’ve picked up an idea or two on how you can be physically and financially healthy at the same time, and that you’re now ready to take things to the next level by dedicating your resources to the right goals. Perhaps you can start by getting health insurance in the Philippines designed to provide for your medical care needs and support your journey to financial wellness.
Look for our Bancassurance Sales Executive at any of our 900 BPI branches today to receive a free financial consultation!
