I will be turning 46 soon. And as I finally starting planning for my inevitable death (the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes!) I also, finally, started planning to live.
The topic of end of life planning has been on my mind more lately. Suddenly it seems like a big-girl issue that needs to be addressed. So I talked to a few of our members – life insurance, health insurance, financial planner, lawyer/estate planner (did you know we have all of those at the gym?!?!?). And I have been doing a lot of research on all of it.
Here’s the thing. None of the details matter, except one. (And it’s an important one.) Life insurance is not for you. It’s for your family. You don’t get to spend that money. You’re dead.
And as a mother of 3 kids, this is a big deal.
Lots of people have life insurance; they want to care for their families after they meet their end. Lots of people have health insurance too, they want to ensure they’re financially secure if something bad happens and health deteriorates. Travel insurance, car insurance, home insurance – they all work the same way. Money comes, but only after something bad happens.
I recently had a cup of coffee with one of our long-term members, and he talked to me about his life plan, which involved making good decisions that would help him live as long as possible. This conversation wasn’t about planning for bad events, but enjoying the good things. He wasn’t planning to die, but rather planning to LIVE. What an amazing idea!
We certainly can’t prevent all bad things from happening (2020 and beyond has surely made sure we know that), but when it comes to health, we can prevent a lot. For example, just by achieving a healthy weight, you will significantly reduce your risk for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some cancers, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, breathing problems – you get the idea as the list goes on and on.
If you’re reading this, you’re interested in fitness. You are or have been a member of our gym or you want to learn more about fitness through our emails. That means you’re already thinking about prevention!
Exercise builds muscle, strengthens bones, improves blood work, reduces stress, eliminates fat, and so on. These are all good things that will help keep you out of the doctor’s office and the hospital!
But exercise isn’t enough. If you’re trapped in a room with two zombies and you kill one, do you still have a problem? (Spoiler Alert – the answer is YES – and it’s now chasing you!)
Health is like that. Exercise is an amazing thing, and since 2014 we’ve focused on learning how to use it to make you as healthy as possible. Now we’re focusing on combining that training with improved nutrition – we’re going to kill both zombies.
If you work out and eat better, you’re going to save yourself from a lot of bad things. And you’re less likely to need life insurance before you’re very, very old. But you do in fact need to kill both zombies before you’re as safe as possible. Makes sense, right? Eat well without exercise or train well but eat poorly and you still have half your problems.
We’re committed to killing both zombies.
You should probably look into life insurance and plan to take care of your family when you pass on. But before you do, I’d encourage you to focus on improving and preserving your health. Stay active, train hard, optimize your diet and do everything you can to live a long, healthy life.