The Safest Investment

Everywhere you turn lately we are faced with headlines of a gloomy future, a slump, and a big depression. The overwhelming doom and gloom news leads to panic and fear. Fear, in turn leads to stress which happens to be a silent killer. When faced with constant stress, our bodies start to pump out hormones that can lead to obesity and high blood pressure while our minds tend to turn to martinis, cigarettes, anger or depression which in turn cause more internal stress. A lose-lose scenario.

Everybody needs an outlet for stress and exercise is the perfect antidote. Exercise is an investment of time and strength but yields great assets over time. Exercise can lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and weight and at the same time increase your metabolism, confidence, and endorphin levels making you feel more energetic than before you started. It’s almost instant gratification! If committed to a ritual of exercise as a part of your lifestyle for the long haul (along with eating well, of course) than you will significantly reduce your risks of heart disease, cancer, and stroke, the top three U.S. killers according to the National Center for Health Statistics (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/FASTATS/lcod.htm). You will also lower your risk of diabetes which is number 6 on the list. Sounds like a win-win, right?

So how many times a week should one invest in exercise? Some people (including some of my clients J) seem to think that twice a week is a sufficient deposit. However, current guidelines set by the American Heart Association and ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) for adults under the age of 65 are:

Moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Or
Vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week
And
Eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.

Just keep in mind that these guidelines are set for the average American. If you consider yourself in better shape than the average American (which I hope you all strive for at least that), than we need to up the ante on these guidelines. Working harder for better results will set you ahead of the pack. And you don't have to share your results with anyone else. They're all yours!

Some things, like the stock market, are just out of our hands. Our health is one major thing that we have control over. And your body is the best asset you can invest in. There’s only about 10 weeks left before 2009. A lot can be accomplished in 10 weeks. So take advantage of this last quarter, invest in yourself, lower your risks, and start the new year ahead of the game regardless of what is going on in the financial arena.