Pay Now or Pay Later

Why do we put a value limit on our health, but not on so many other purchases we make in life?

This has become a topic of interest and a passion of ours at Performance 360.  For some reason, we as humans have been conditioned to put a perceived value cap on our lives.  We then sit and wait until we have to reactively pay for health aides, medication, surgeries or ultimately payable on an early and untimely death.

Let’s break this down though.  I think we can all agree that life is easier to stay in the status quo.  It’s more fun to eat all of the food that leads us to discomfort, disease and again…death.  This is not to scare anyone or look at taking the fun out of life. You have to live too! But why is it that people cringe at the mere thought of spending a couple hundred dollars a month on a personal trainer or health coach, but never scoff at dining out, drinking, and other activities where short term pleasure is gained, to be literally flushed down the toilet hours later.  Nothin but a distant memory of the pleasure that it was.

Now, picture spending a couple hundred dollars a month on someone who is going to elevate your mood, lengthen your life expectancy, give you more energy (which by the way can lead to increased sex, better daily productivity, work performance, enjoyment with your kids – they are only little once!)  Plus, now you can enjoy those moments of dining out even more, without the guilt that comes with it.  

Face it, at some point, you have thought about being healthier, but then that little voice in your head interrupts and says, “who are you kidding!  Stay this way! It’s more fun and not as hard!” Perhaps on the onset it is more difficult. Afterall, you have to consider the following: Finding a gym, a trainer, learning new skills that will challenge you.  All of these things are painful! BUt are they as painful as that time when you reactively have to face becoming healthier because you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, had a heart attack, a cancer scare or have been forced onto medication after medication just to survive?  Oh the things that those meds are doing to your insides! YUCK! 

I recently had breakfast with a friend of mine, who is/was a gym goer.  He slowly faded away from it because life got busy. He then told me how he was just recently put on a low dose of blood pressure medication.  My response, “How about a low dose of exercise?” And guess what, 2 days later, there he was, back at the gym!

One thing is for sure.   Proactively pay now for your health or reactively pay later.  At some point in time, you will pay. Or as someone else eloquently put it, “Make time for wellness now or you will be forced to make time for illness later.”