ROI, Personal Fitness as an Investment Strategy

During consultations with potential new clients, I will mentally dig through my grab bag of questions in an effort to know better the habits, history and goals of the person in front of me. Always mindful of never seeming overly rehearsed or canned, I will ask questions I think will evoke honest, even emotional responses. These responses allow me to gauge the level of pace, intensity and information a person requires to fully appreciate their workout. While these questions vary from person to person, I’ve found that one analogy in particular, continuously resonates with a majority of the people I train: ROI, or Return On Investment.

Viewing your commitment to health and fitness through the prism of investment actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it. Whether you factor in your monetary commitments to personal training, gym memberships, diet programs, cardio equipment purchases etc., or the time it takes to adequately immerse yourself in either/all of these activities, it’s clear that some type of investment is being made. So like an investment in a stock, bond or mutual fund, doesn’t it seem logical that you’d want to do everything in your power to influence the type of return you get on that investment?

Once you’ve established a fitness goal, the next step is to assess, as honestly as possible, how your current approach is NOT supportive of this goal. For example: you want to lose 10lbs, but realize that your diet choices are likely contributing to continued weight gain. How do you proceed? Contact a professional, talk to friends and loved ones, or carefully navigate the web for safe and effective ways to modify your diet for weight loss.

Or, you’ve decided enough is enough, and you want to build strength and lean muscle, so you commit to a gym membership. How supportive of your “investment” is it if you never show up to the gym? Or your trainer explains to you that in addition to focusing on strength training and nutrition, you also need to step up your  commitment to cardiovascular work. Well why would you expect a solid ROI if over the course of a given week, you don’t do any additional cardiovascular work?

And like a monetary investment, be ever mindful of risks and other complicating factors. If you are someone who travels a ton for work and already have a hard time committing to 2 or 3 hours a week at the gym, then now is an unrealistic time to embark on an ambitious fitness or weight loss program.

Sensible goals and honest assessments are the most important factors when considering making an investment in your health and fitness. Don’t put it all on black or red. Allocate your commitments into manageable pieces , thereby allowing for greater control and a greater likelihood of solid ROI.

-B