Sisters-in-Service
Are you a women veteran who feels unseen and unheard? Do you struggle with finding your purpose after service? Sisters-in-Service is a podcast that gives women veterans the platform to talk about those exact issues and more. Hear from other veterans, military spouses and Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) just like you that have overcome their transition from the military. Every Tuesday this podcast encourages women veterans to stand up and be counted because as a group we have a voice. From your host - Cat Corchado - The Voice Connecting Women Veterans
Sisters-in-Service
Pay Now or Pay Later: The True Cost of Neglecting Your Health When Money Gets Tight
Your health is worth every penny – even when those pennies are in short supply. In today's economic climate, with recession talk swirling and financial pressures mounting, fitness often becomes the first casualty of budget cuts. But what if that's exactly the opposite of what we should do?
This eye-opening exploration challenges the mindset that wellness is expendable during financial hardship. While gym memberships, training sessions, and healthy food options may seem like obvious expenses to eliminate when money gets tight, the true cost of neglecting your health far exceeds any temporary savings. Think about it: we meticulously maintain our vehicles with regular washes and services but often treat our bodies as if good health is guaranteed rather than earned through consistent care.
The real financial comparison isn't between keeping or cutting your fitness budget today – it's between investing in prevention now versus paying for medical interventions later. As shared by many retirees who did everything right financially but neglected their health, spending your golden years paying for preventable health conditions is a steep price no one wants to pay. Instead of completely eliminating fitness from your life, consider creative alternatives: downgrade your gym membership, see your trainer less frequently, workout at home or outdoors, purchase smaller quantities of quality foods, and leverage free online resources. These adjustments allow you to maintain wellness momentum without breaking the bank.
Ready to recession-proof your fitness? Listen now to discover practical strategies that will keep you healthy and strong without financial strain. Remember, your future self will thank you for the investments you make in your health today – and some of the most valuable ones don't cost a thing.
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Welcome to Sisters in Service podcast. Most of you know me as a strong advocate for women veterans in being recognized not only as veterans but also as women who are changing the world through our passion of serving even after service. This podcast is my passion, by telling all the stories of military brats, military spouses, active duty and veterans, not to forget the veteran service organizations that help us along our transition journey. I want to thank you in advance for listening. I hope that you will join me. Every week, a new podcast and episode comes out every Tuesday, so I hope that you will join and I hope that you enjoy. This podcast is brought to you by Small Space Pilates. Are you ready to get fit and fabulous from the comfort of your own home? Look no further than Small Space Pilates. With live online Pilates and strength training classes, a video library and a no perfection allowed policy, you can achieve your fitness goals without ever leaving your house. Click on the link for your complimentary week and start your journey to feeling fabulous today.
Speaker 1:Welcome everyone to another episode of why Not Wellness. I'm your host, your movement specialist, kat Corchado, and today I want to speak a little bit about putting fitness first, especially when you're in a financial crunch or maybe even a recession. We've been hearing that word being thrown around throughout the last few months. So we're going to dive into this topic because it affects many of us, even me and especially if you have a business, and especially during challenging times, whatever those challenging times are. Maybe you just had a baby, maybe you have an extra bill you know, you had a hot water go out. That happened to us. We had to buy a new hot water heater. Stuff happens, okay. So we're talking about why fitness often takes a backseat when money gets tight or during a recession. So we're going to talk about the reasons behind this and maybe provide some practical tips on how to maintain your wellness journey without breaking the bank. So let's get started.
Speaker 1:First off, let's understand why fitness often becomes the first casualty during financial crunches. It's the first thing that goes people, the first thing we're like where can we go back? Oh, there we go. Gym, fitness, wellness, pilates, whatever that thing is for you. Fitness, wellness, pilates, whatever that thing is for you. But have you thought about why? Oh, it's super easy because, guess what, you're probably not going to miss it, unlike your favorite candy bar, your favorite ice cream. Okay, and we.
Speaker 1:We put limitations on things. Okay, we start to I won't say downgrade, but we start to buy off brands of things. We start to cut back on our spending, ok. And so the first thing I would do is I would put fitness over here and look at everything else. Where can I cut back and keep track of it? I've saved five dollars here. I am taking my lunch. I've saved. Well, nowadays, eating lunch can be anywhere between 10 and $20, depending on where you're eating. But keep track of all this money, because you're going to find ways that you can cut back without cutting out your fitness. And so it's.
Speaker 1:The first casualty is fitness. It's a combination of factors. The most obvious one is the cost. So if you're in a fitness studio, you're in a gym, ok, and they've got the bronze, the gold, the platinum, or the gold, the platinum, the bronze I don't know how they go and you went for the top of the shelf. I'm like the best, because you get all the stuff right. You get the free massages, you get all the things. Maybe look at the price between that and the one below or maybe even the one under that. What do you actually get with this platinum package, or whatever package it is gold, platinum that maybe you don't really use or haven't used and maybe you wouldn't really miss it. And so gym memberships is one way. Okay, keep your gym membership. Maybe go to the lowest package that you could.
Speaker 1:Personal trainers you'll say, oh, I can't afford a personal trainer. So maybe you're going once a week, maybe more if you can, bravo. But if you're going once a week and it seems like, oh, it's a lot, try going every two weeks. See if you can do your workout on your own and then check in with your trainer every two weeks. That's a way to do it.
Speaker 1:What about workout gear? I think that workout gear is more of a ooh, that's cool, I want to get that. Or for me, it's workout wear, because it's something I wear every day. But I have to pull back and say do I really need this right now? So a lot of you are probably thinking well, you're in the fitness industry, I bet you don't cut back on anything. Yes, I do, I most certainly do. There are things that I do cut back on, okay, and I don't know if you can and I'm being very real here I don't know if you can see my lashes. Yes, I go get my lashes done. Okay, I just do, but it's a lot and I'm really seriously I'm teetering to. Is this something I really want? Do they look good? Yeah, but I have to look at what I'm spending as opposed to what I'm getting.
Speaker 1:And, last but not least, is healthy food, and I want you to think in terms of you know, you buy something and it's per pound, it's $4.99 a pound. You're like, oh, I can't do that. What if you bought a half pound? What if you bought a quarter pound? So there's ways to do it and still eat healthy, okay.
Speaker 1:Secondly, during a recession, the stress and anxiety can become overwhelming. Okay, you're like like this Okay, this can lead to emotional eating and or neglecting exercises. People focus more on their immediate financial survival. There are free things you can do. There are workouts in the park. There are groups here in Charlotte that you have a free workout that strap on those sneakers and go walking. That is free, y'all, that's free. I can't vouch for the weather, but the walking is free. You just have to think about it. How, think, how can I make this work? Not, oh, get rid of that, but how can I scale this down so that it works for me.
Speaker 1:So neglecting fitness during these trying times can have serious consequences. It's not just about maintaining a certain physique, because after a certain age, it's just about being healthy. I'm just going to put it out there. Regular exercise boosts our immune system, improves our mental health and increases productivity. It's a crucial aspect of our overall well-being. I'm going to say that again because I think it's phenomenal. It's a crucial aspect. Exercise is a crucial aspect of our overall well-being. Exercise is a crucial aspect of our overall well-being. So let's not forget another crucial aspect the cost of neglecting our fitness. Now people tell me all the time you know it's expensive to be fit, it's expensive to buy the things and expensive to eat right, da-da-da-da-da, I get it. You know what else is expensive Doctors, hospital visits, emergency room visits, surgeries, medication.
Speaker 1:I did a podcast episode I can't remember which one. I'll probably put it in the show notes about all these stories that are coming out now about how people are retiring. They've done all the right things, they maxed out their 401k, they've got all the things, but they neglected their health. You know what they're doing now. You know what they're spending that money on. Not on vacations, not on going to see their grandkids or whatever. They're spending money on correcting what they neglected years ago, and that's sad to me. So, even if you are doing the things, try to find some way to maintain it. It might not be ideal, but you know, recession doesn't last very long at least I hope not. So maybe it's just for a bit and then you can go back to that platinum package for the gym.
Speaker 1:The long-term implications of neglecting your health are far more expensive than anything you'll ever pay out, anything you'll ever pay out. Yes, I said it again. It's just more expensive to ignore. Right now you're fine, you're like I'm good, I feel good, but you don't know what's happening on the inside. Please take care of yourself. Regular exercise and a balanced diet can prevent a range of health issues, from heart disease and diabetes to mental health disorders. On the other hand, neglecting our fitness can lead to these health problems, which often result in hefty medical bills. We just talked about this. The cost of medications, hospital stays and treatments can quickly add up, often surpassing what we would have spent on maintaining our fitness. So while it may seem like we're saving money in the short term by cutting fitness expenses, we could end up paying a much higher price in the long run.
Speaker 1:Your health is an investment and it's worth every penny. You know, when you buy a car, a brand new car, what do you do with it? You get all the things right. You have the insurance. Well, you have to have insurance. We don't have to. But you get what I mean. You get it washed once a week, you shine it up and you wax it and you do all the things. Does it make the car run better? No, it's about taking pride in what you have, what you have. But for some reason, in health, we think health is a given. Oh, I'm healthy, I'm supposed to be healthy. It's not a given. Maybe between the ages of 20 and 30, sure, probably is a given. You could leave the gym for two weeks and come back and nothing shifted or fallen or sliding down. But do you see where I'm getting at here? Please don't neglect your health. It's so.
Speaker 1:How do we keep fitness a priority, even when our money's tight? Home workouts? Hello, during COVID, a lot of people learned how to do Zoom. A lot of people did fitness things online and social media. Find something online that you could maybe keep your gym membership but you could do a homework or a homework, a home workout at home. There are plenty of effective workouts can be done at home with minimal or no equipment. Now, if you feel as though you still need someone to watch your form, see if your trainer can do it online. Maybe it's cheaper instead of going into the gym. I'm not going to vouch for that because I don't know, but maybe ask the question is it cheaper if we do virtual? What if I did, once every two weeks coming in to see you, and once every two weeks we did a virtual or whatever your schedule can allow? What about outdoor activities? And once every two weeks we did a virtual or whatever your schedule can allow? What about outdoor activities? Weather's getting warm, you guys Walking, running, cycling All of those things are a great way to stay active and they're free. Hiking Hiking's great right now. Well, maybe not right now because of the allergies, but eventually hiking is something that you can do.
Speaker 1:Eating healthy on a budget Eating healthy doesn't have to be expensive If you plan your meals, if you buy in bulk and focus on whole foods like fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. My husband and I used to buy two steaks he would have a steak, I would have a steak Rib eye, a steak, ribeye bone in? Oh amazing, right. And then we got to the point we thought let's take two steaks and cut them in half. So he has half a steak, I have half. Is that a way to save money? Yes, it is. So that's just one thing that we do.
Speaker 1:Coming back on how much you're eating, for instance, when I have a plate, my husband cooks in our family. I've made no bones about that and he's great at it, and you know how sometimes you're putting stuff on your plate and you want to add another teaspoon, tablespoon, whatever. And you kind of go another teaspoon, tablespoon, whatever. And you kind of go ooh, should I or shouldn't I Put it back? Go eat your food and if you want it later, come back and get it.
Speaker 1:My husband used to eat three pieces of pizza and I asked him one day this is when I first met him and I said why do you eat three pieces? He goes, I've always eaten three pieces, I go him. One day this is when I first met him and I said why do you eat three pieces? He goes, I've always eaten three pieces, I go, I know, but why? I said why don't you eat two? And then, if you want the third one, go back and get it. Know what happened? He ended up eating two. Does he still eat three sometimes? If he wants to go back and get it, but cutting back and replacing some of that, and again, you don't have to buy.
Speaker 1:It says buy in bulk, which will last you longer, because we shop at Costco, I'm just going to say, and that stuff lasts a long time. So make sure that if you're buying, you like it a lot because you're going to have it forever. But another thing is to go to a supermarket. Maybe you're trying out new vegetables, new fruits. Buy one, buy a little bit and see if you like it. Don't buy a pound and then it just sits in your refrigerator and takes on a whole new life, so to speak.
Speaker 1:Online resources there are a number. I was going to say number innumerous, and it just didn't come out that way. There are numerous free or low cost resources available online. From workout videos to fitness apps, you can find a wealth of information to help you stay on track. Remember, fitness is not a luxury, it's a necessity. Do you have to have a trainer? No, trainer's nice to have A trainer, gets you on course quicker. But find ways that you can still keep your trainer without breaking the bank.
Speaker 1:Maybe you're trying to eat better and you only meet with your trainer, like I said, every two weeks. Maybe you're out walking instead of, whatever you know, going to the gym. Maybe your gym's within walking distance. Why don't you walk? Ooh, there's an idea. And, of course, if it's not, then you have to drive. But it's just. These are ways to think about how you can cut back.
Speaker 1:So let's try to maintain our fitness journey without putting a strain on our finances, and I've been through it. I mean, there are times when I've had to pay for recertifications and I'm thinking, good grief, how am I going to do this? And I find a way. I cut back on something so I can pay for that that month. So I want you to understand that it doesn't have to be all end all. Oh, can't afford the fitness thing. Yeah, you can, you still can. So thank you for joining me on this episode. Stay healthy, stay strong and remember you're capable of overcoming any obstacle in your path. I like to say it's never too late to start your impossible, everyone's impossible is different. This might seem impossible, is it? Maybe it is. Maybe you have to cut way back, but maybe it's not for too long. So this is Kat Corchado, your movement specialist, signing off for now. So until next time, bye, thank you.