5 Reasons You AREN'T Exercising (Part 2)

2. It's Too Expensive

        If you’re like me (and most Americans) you appreciate qualifying the value of something before you invest your hard-earned dollars.  And let’s be honest… fitness training can seem a little intense at face value.  Knowing what I know today, let me help put things in perspective:

According to the Office of Actuary Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the U.S. spent $2.26 trillion in 2007. This is more than any other country in the world. (According to the World Health Organization).

I don’t know about anyone else, but $2.26 trillion seems like a LOT of goulash.  This begs for the giant “WHY?” of this scenario.  Why is our health care spending so incredible?  What brought us to this place where we need the most health assistance in the world?  All politics aside, I’m convinced we can find our answer right at the heart of the American dream.  We have much freedom to enjoy.  Food to eat. Televisions to watch.  Internet access on every corner (if not in our homes, too).  Ah, sweet freedom.  However, we neglect the notion that  “with freedom comes responsibility.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

Our culture in America has conditioned us to eat, drink, and be merry, and throw caution to the wind, even at the risk of our own health. What I want to see is a culture shift, beginning in our own communities, of health and fitness awareness.  Sure, feel free to enjoy your liberties in our amazing country, but don’t neglect your responsibility to take care of yourself.  You’ll find several benefits to engaging in a culture of health and fitness, including more energy, focus, better sleep, a better attitude (in most cases), and most important: less money down the drain at fast food restaurants (and more important: doctor’s offices)

Sure, we need to regularly visit the doctor to make sure we’re doing well.  But do we really need to put ourselves in a position where we are throwing down $2.26 trillion?  Probably not.  Of course not.  Why not engage in a culture of fitness and ditch the old ways of letting ourselves go?  Having been one of the worst offenders of enjoying the American dream without personal fitness responsibility, I can tell you it’s much better in the culture I’ve found now as opposed to where I was back then…trust me.

So let’s qualify value here:

you SPEND a little money per month;
you GAIN a functional, strong, healthy body
you GAIN a better view of that person in the mirror
you GAIN a more positive attitude
you GAIN a community of people working toward the same goals you are
you GAIN a friendly, entertaining, and challenging fitness trainer/coach

Sounds pretty good to me.  More to come soon.
Stay Strong,
Chad