Einstein was once quoted as saying “compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it earns it…he who doesn’t…pays it.”
Read that again.
Now Einstein was talking from a financial perspective I’m sure, but the law of compounding interest can be applied to anything we do.
As a fitness coach I talk a lot with my clients about consistently exercising each week. For most of our clients that tends to fall in the 2-5 days per week range.
I will say though, the people who workout closer to 5 days per week typically see better return than the people who work out two. Why?
They’re investing more. Just do the math.
5 days per week x 52 weeks per year = 260 workouts per year
2 days per week x 52 weeks per year = 104 workouts per year
That’s a difference of 156.
With that big of a difference in investment it’s hard to deny the difference in return.
The compounding effect of moving 156 more times in the next year can be life changing to your health. But even if it wasn’t 156 more times, even if you went from moving 2 days per week to 3, that’s 52 more workouts. 52 more opportunities to get stronger, improve mobility, or increase your capacity.
Nutrition is another. If I eat well M-F that’s about 70% of the time. If I chose to eat well M-Sa that bumps my efforts up 15%.
When a client is unhappy with their results I immediately go to their efforts. How often are you getting in the gym? How consistent are you being with your nutrition. Compliance and consistency go hand in hand with results. They both build on one another and your results.
When I was researching for this blog I came across a financial article that boasted the three things investors needed to think about to really harness the benefits of compounding interest. They were:
- Stay invested.
- Develop a long term mindset
- Set specific goals
Honestly, these rules perfectly correlate with how to maximize compounding interest in our fitness.
Stay invested: while workouts may look different, seasons may change, and your body isn’t what it used to be. Don’t stop. Adapt, modify, and keep moving!
Develop a long term mindset: Not every workout will be your best. You won’t eat perfectly everyday. And the scale won’t move every week. While there are times we may hyperfocus, that’s not realistic long term. Treat your efforts as if you’re working for 5, 10, or 20 years from now you. Chip away each day.
Set Specific Goals: Our best clients know where they want to go and work with a coach to set up a plan to get there. If you don’t know what your goals are and the why’s behind them, the journey can be a pretty bumpy one. We meet with our clients quarterly to check in on current goals, celebrate victories, and plan next steps.
If you need help with your financial investments, call Edward Jones or Charles Schwab (this is not a plug for either btw). But if you need help with your health investments we’d love to chat. Book a visit HERE.