Prioritizing Fitness in Your Finances

Written by Dara Sweatt

Finances and health are nearly impossible to separate. Gym memberships, supplements, whole, clean foods, all cost money.

You may be thinking you don’t have time to focus on those healthier habits because you don’t have the finances for it, but you might change your mind if you consider the many financial reasons to prioritize your health. 

When I first started to get serious about my health journey, it was about the same time I graduated from college and had my first jobs in my career. I never really had a lot of guidance when it came to my finances, so my bank account was all over the place. 

I was trying to balance still partying like I was in college, networking at after-hours events, rent, student loan payments, insurance, gym memberships, trips, concerts, etc. 

There were times I would look at my bank account and it would be in the negatives and I would have to call my mom crying begging for her help ‘just one more time’ and would promise her I was working as hard as I could, but ‘the real world was expensive’. 

I was very lucky to have a family that could help me financially if I was in a bind, but it wasn’t until I had a serious chat with my coach at Graham and she shared with me some of the unhealthy habits she let go of, so that she could afford her healthy habits. 

I had to get really serious with what I was spending my money on and the numbers added up to be a ridiculous amount on alcohol and eating out. And all that money was not only affecting my bank account and waste band, but my overall health. 

I was spending money on ‘healthy’ foods at the grocery store to meal prep and eat throughout the week, but since I was going out 3-5 times during the week, that food would go to waste since I would be drunkenly eating Taco Bell or McDonald’s and then be too hungover to want to cook egg whites or make a smoothie. 

It was a vicious, financially draining cycle. 

The first thing I did was discipline myself to not go out as much, especially on the weekdays. I tried that for a month and was shocked at how much healthier my bank account started to look. 

The next thing I did was slow down on my drinks when I did go out, so I wasn’t drinking as much and as a result of that, I was spending even less money. 

I really started to see my bank account get impacted in the best way, and I also started to feel and perform better in my workouts. 

The vicious cycle then became a virtuous cycle. 

I still go out, have drinks, go on trips, to concerts, etc. but now, everything has a time and a place and I’ve even established a healthy savings account, which I was never able to do before. 

When your finances are in order, it’s much easier to live a healthy life. You start to make decisions and add things to your budget that positively impact your life.

You got this.