Working out was purely for aesthetics when I was younger and in my late teens and 20s for one reason and one reason only, to look as good as possible for the opposite sex! I don’t believe that specific motivation ever entirely disappears, but other reasons may come to the forefront as you age. For some it becomes a lifestyle, it is where we feel accepted by a peer group, or we find self-fulfillment in chasing an athletic endeavor or endeavors (competing an Ironman, a marathon, body building, or in CrossFit Games) for achievement, or we do it to handle stress so we may function optimally on the day to day to be at our best. For some that is enough motivation. For others who are maybe more externally motivated, being monetarily driven or conscientious is something to consider. What if exercising in adulthood could save you enough money to afford a home? It’s an interesting concept, but wasn’t sure there was a study out there that could quantify it. What if exercise, which has many health benefits, actually saves or makes money for you in the long run outside of being a professional athlete or a blown up social media fitness influencer? Let’s investigate to find out more.
Exercise can bring meaning and purpose to our lives or make life more fulfilling! It helps us live longer and avoid expensive medical costs. Doing so gives you more options to partake in new life experiences. We may not realize it, but exercise is working for us to provide funding for those life options to the tune of the price of a home, in certain areas of the country. Let me explain.
A study published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine in 2021 examined the relationship between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA, physical activity subjects did in their spare timefrom the age ranges of 15 to 60 years) for 21,750 subjects who were polled at the average age 60 years through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). The results were informative in terms of the exercise’s influence on cost savings.
Consistent moderate activity level adults (green and tan lines on graph) who maintained from adolescence into middle age saved an average of $1200 to $1,350 per year on healthcare costs compared to inactive individuals (black line). Savings were taken over 1-10 years, with 6.2 years being the average reported cost time in subjects’ older adult years.
Early adopters of exercise (blue lines) saw the most significant savings, with a reduction of $1,874 per year in healthcare costs in their later years compared to inactive individuals (black line) as well.
All groups that declined in physical activity in middle age displayed decreases in savings. However, it cannot be overlooked that Group 5 (orange line), who exercised early and declined with older age, had better average cost savings than Group 2 (blue line) above, which showed a steady incline in exercise activity after performing very little activity up to early adulthood.
Let’s take the average highest savings range of $1200/year to $1874/year ($100 to $156 per month) during the time of our most health costly years and invest early in our lives with exercise to stay mobile to be more than capable to save that amount every month over 20-40 years, and put it into the S/P 500, that has an average yearly return of 10%. You may make an estimated $66,000 to $686,000 during that period. This is not adjusted for inflation, and I’m also not an accountant or financial advisor, so if you are doing the calculation and it’s not exactly right, I admit it. Regardless, the calculated amount would still be substantial in the hundreds of thousands of dollars! Yes, it’s not an exact guarantee that you’re automatically making money if you exercise. But I would wager that if you care enough to exercise consistently for any reason, you’ll have the discipline to accomplish the financial scenario above, if so desired.
I endorse being active and putting exercise first for your well-being and the enrichment of your life. It’s also a fantastic bonus to know that your efforts to be healthy highly contribute to a dollar amount that is potentially enough to buy a home or use at your disposal to live however you choose. While lovely, you don’t have to be a professional athlete or a viral fitness influencer. You just have to appreciate that physical mobility opens you to more incredible options in life. If you have any questions and need guidance on where to begin for exercising and longevity, don’t waste time; reach out. No matter what your age, it’s never too late!
Sources
Coughlan, D., Saint-Maurice, P.F., Carlson, S.A., Fulton, J., Matthews, C.E., 2021. Leisure time physical activity throughout adulthood is associated with lower medicare costs: evidence from the linked NIH-AARP diet and health study cohort. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med 7, e001038.
