By Ben Tyler, Owner and 925 Head Coach

Being in the industry of helping people with their health is a unique blessing. As Coaches, we get to see people make changes that positively affect them literally for the rest of their lives. We also get the chance to participate in what we provide, and reap the health benefits ourselves along-side our clients. There are few paths of work where the provider and client get to work together and celebrate each others progress, be there for each other through tough times in life, and enjoy watching people’s health and outlook on life drastically change for the better.

When someone walks in the door, we look for how we can help them, simply put. Depending on their needs, it may be starting with Nutrition and Mindset Coaching and not even working out, believe it or not. For others, it could be a mix of CrossFit, a few PT sessions a month and a recommendation for a few good Yoga studios in the area to help them unwind and focus due to their busy work schedule. Others may simply need a fun atmosphere to come do CrossFit in and already have a great handle on their nutrition. Whatever it is, our goal is to help them make forward, positive progress with their wellness.

I read a surprising statistic showing the average American spends over $10,000 per year on health related costs. $10,000 per person, per year. (1) America also has a staggering obesity rate of almost 40%. (2). Another portion of this data shows the older we get, the higher our chances of being obese (this will be a topic of a future blog!).

We spend a staggering amount of money to fix health problems, when the majority of these issues could be avoided, or minimized via maintaining better nutrition and exercise. One study showed people who simply walk or exercise at moderate intensity 30 minutes per day, 5x a week saved on average, $2500 a year (3) on health related costs. This is also unrelated to any nutritional changes!

There have been many other examples of high intensity exercise (like CrossFit, HIIT, etc) showing far more health benefits. Considering simply moving 30 minutes per day, 5x a week consistently can save you $2500 per year, how much more would significantly more effective nutrition and exercise change your health?

Another interesting thought is that the $10,000/year spending is an average across all Americans, including the health ones. So, if you are unhealthy and letting your body get close to diabetes or other nutritional and inactivity related diseases and disorders, your yearly health spending could far exceed $10,000/year - Not to mention potentially higher insurance rates etc.

There are many ways to take advantage of being healthy, some as simple and cheap as $10/month (Planet fitness! Just don’t eat the free pizza, donuts, or do Deadlifts! :) ), a solid CrossFit Program for $2-300/month where you gain the accountability of Coaches who know your personal goals and work with you in a small group environment, or, if you need the extra focus and accountability of Personal Training, you can add that for $100-$300/hr (depending on your specific trainer).

When you look at the economics, the statistics show an average savings of $2500/year (from above), and likely another $2500-$5000/year. For me, personally, I’ve been blessed with great health (thanks to CrossFit and Nutrition) and haven’t had a major health issue in as long as I can remember. Taking the last 10 years, and the average of $10,000 per year, I have saved just under $90,000 in health related expenses (had food poisoning that ended up close to $10k in expenses when all said and done). Of course, as we age, those expenses tend to go up (I’m 33 now), but being in great health and eating well can drastically drop health related issues and expenses.

All this being said, you can run the numbers and look at the statistics for yourself. Is investing in your health and nutrition worth it? If you have been taking care of your health, how much has it saved you?

Also, on a non-monetary note, how much different would your quality of life be if you invested in yourself and improved your wellness? What would that mean for your family, friends, and your life in general?