This Totally Luxurious Expense Will Be The Best Money You Spend On Yourself
by Amanda Loudin
We’re an overweight, sick and depressed society. We spend inordinate amounts of money on prescriptions that may or may not really help, therapy to work through all our baggage, and repeatedly jump on the latest and greatest diet schemes—keto, anyone? Yet here we remain, physical and emotional messes.
So here’s an idea that might set us all free: get a personal trainer.
It sounds terribly indulgent, doesn’t it? A personal trainer is something for J.Lo, not you! You have kids, a job, a partner, bills, debt, college funds. You can’t be spending on such frivolity! But what if it’s the best time and money you can spend, not just for you, but for everyone in your life?
Let’s start with the financials. Personal trainers average $50 to $70 an hour, depending on where you live. I don’t know about your therapist, but mine runs twice that per hour. A bi-monthly housecleaning? Generally in the $140 to $170 range. The cost of highlights? $60 to $150, depending on the salon. How about that daily, $4 latte times five?
So, why pay all this money when you can easily download a free app with all the exercise plans you could ever need?
Because you’re not using that app. And because a personal trainer means accountability.
If you’re someone who has a hard time getting motivated to exercise, an actual human being will hold you accountable, and this one’s big, folks. It’s one thing to ignore that training app on your phone, but disrespecting your trainer’s time by no showing? That’s $50 regardless, please and thank you. A trainer wants you to succeed and will hold your feet to the fire to help make that happen.
So, is working out REALLY the best use of my time and money?
The truth is, exercise is the fountain of youth. And it’s increasingly proving to be one of the best solutions for mental health. A recent Harvard study showed that subjects had a 26 percent decrease in their odds for depression by simply replacing 15 minutes of sitting with 15 minutes of running, or swapping out an hour of sitting for an hour of brisk walking.
Exercise can have a big, positive impact on depression, anxiety and your overall mood. Research also indicates that it helps boost your sleep, improves your memory, reduces inflammation, and helps you focus.
When you exert yourself physically, the brain releases powerful, feel good hormones. Admittedly not the sexy part of exercise, but when the brain sets free neurotransmitters like GABA, endorphins, and glutamate, you get a bit of an emotional high. Do it over and over again, and you have the recipe for a sustainable state of feel good. Or at least, feeling better.
Great. I’m sold. Now what?
There’s not one perfect path, but there are a few solid starting points. Ask your friends, look at local community Facebook groups, check Angie’s List. Your gym membership also might come with a few free sessions, or discounted rates. A little research can help you turn up the most affordable option for your budget. But do get a few referrals and then test them out. You want to make sure you find the right trainer for you - one you’ll stick with.
If you’re still riddled with guilt, remind yourself of this: When you’re happier, you have more to give. Your relationships will benefit from your investment in self-care. Put your oxygen mask on, first.
Amanda Loudin is an award-winning journalist whose health-and-fitness work appears regularly in the Washington Post, NBC, Outside magazine and many other outlets. You can find her here.
