How to get a 440% return on being fit

On this website, we’ve talked before about the positive physical and mental benefits of regular exercise. But one question has veer itching at me for a while: what is the financial return on exercise? Can staying active actually provide measurable economic value, beyond better health and wellbeing? As you can imagine, this is not something which is easy (or arguably fair) to quantify. But it’s been done anyway.

First, a little aside. I wanted to share my training philosophy and routine with you. I hope it inspires and provides more clarity on why you should be regularly active. While the title of this blog focusses on the financial gains to be found through exercise, there are also gains* to be found in a multitude of other areas as well.

Training to be the best version of yourself

Health and fitness is a topic I feel strongly about. I believe that we should all be training to be the best versions of ourselves. There is no compromise to this goal. It’s something we should be thinking about daily, and it all boils down to a few simple truths:

• Consistently train to be fit and healthy. Aim to be in the top ~2.3% of people by age group for VO2 max.
• Do this and you will enjoy living a healthy life with the lowest possible chance of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease and type 2 diabetes.
• You will be incredibly energetic, sleep better, look great, be more productive, have stronger bones and improved mood and focus throughout life.
• You’re more likely to live to a very old age as an incredibly active person who is full of vitality.
• You’ll have a sharp but short decline in health before death (not long and protracted, like many people experience).

This is the life that I want to live, and it’s what I’m training for. I train for the host of benefits that being fit, healthy and strong affords. It’s not just to improve my VO2 max. I suspect the fact I am motivated to develop this website is directly related to improved focus and productivity from my training.

My training routine

I typically take 3-4 gym sessions per week and ~3 cardiovascular sessions (two long runs + one high-intensity interval run). Six days per week of exercise, one day of rest. The running I tend to do outdoors, rather than at the gym – I do like to exercise outside in the elements, and I also find running outdoors is far more interesting (and generally cooler) than inside on a treadmill. Even when on holiday, I’ll fit in some bodyweight exercises and get a couple of runs in. Consistency is key for maintaining these habits.

I spend about £430 per year on my gym membership. That’s quite a lot, but it gives me access to an entire leisure centre, swimming pool and classes. It’s the best money I’ve ever spent since it keeps me in great shape, which (as we shall explore below), provides some impressive financial returns.

The net result from all this exercise (which I’ve been doing for several years now), is that I’m in the best shape of my life. I can run faster and lift harder than ever before. I truly wish you too can experience the amazing feeling and confidence being in such good shape brings.

Okay, but what about the financial return on exercise?

It seems that Sport England undertake regular studies every year to investigate the social value of sport and physical activity across England (not the UK as a whole).

The summary report of the social value of sport in England can be found here. The definitions used in the report are rather convoluted. ‘Social value’ is defined as “all significant costs and benefits that affect the welfare and wellbeing of the population.” This can be either a direct benefit (such as improved wellbeing) or an indirect benefit (such as reduced healthcare costs).

The government has apparently managed to quantify wellbeing in terms of monetary value. The reasoning is not properly explained in the report, and is no doubt buried in some other Treasury guideline documents that nobody really wants to read. To be honest, I’m sceptical that a monetary value can be assigned to improved wellbeing. But they’ve done it, so let’s discuss the results below.

£122.9 billion

£122.9 billion – that’s the total annual value of sport and physical activity in England in 2023-2024 (April-April tax year). This is broken down into £106.9 billion as the primary value (individual wellbeing), and £15.9 billion as the secondary value (wider health value to society, including reduced GP appointments and fewer diagnoses of chronic diseases).

For an active adult (in the report, someone who undertakes more than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical exercise per week), being active is worth £2,600 per year in wellbeing value. Being active was also worth an additional £478 per year in secondary benefits such as improved health and better productivity.

This means that an active adult is worth approximately £3,100 more to the economy than someone who is inactive. I’m spending £430 per year on my gym membership. Plus an additional ~£150 per year for running shoes and miscellaneous sports equipment like tops, shorts and smartwatches. That’s £580 annually I’m spending on health and fitness.

So, in total, that’s a 5.34x return on investment (£3100/£580). But whether that is a 5.34x return on investment for me, for the economy or for a mixture of both is impossible to say. Probably the latter.

Where does the 440% return come from?

The total return on investment for community sport and physical activity in England in 2023/24 was 4.38. Rather than trying to explain it, I’ll let the report do the talking:

This is calculated as the total return on investment to the economy, not the individual. It’s therefore in the government’s best interest to get as many people exercising regularly as possible.

Personal return on investment

Calculating the personal return on investment for an individual is far more nuanced, and will depend on a host of factors that are specific to you. However, you still can build your fitness without spending much money. Running and cycling outdoors can be inexpensive forms of exercise if you are willing to use cheap or second-hand gear. Body weight exercises are completely free, and there seem to be more and more free outdoor gyms being built every year.

As with any investment, you can improve your odds of making a positive return by reducing the costs. You don’t need to pay for an expensive gym membership, PT sessions, and the latest tech to exercise well. My advice is to wear what you already have and just start. You’re never going to get fit just by thinking about it. Actions speak louder than words.

I think we can safely say that being physically active has positive financial returns both to you and the economy, although it’s very difficult (next to impossible) to calculate. The Sport England research used in this article is fraught with uncertainty and speculative estimates.

The financial return is not important to the individual

While Sport England managed to quantify the financial return on exercise, I doubt this is something you’ll think much about. We exercise to become fitter and stronger, to live a longer and healthier life, and to have improved mood and mental health. Not to save money through some convoluted reasoning made by Sport England.

Yes, some form of financial gain has been attributed to exercise, but you can’t trade money for improved wellbeing, a lower resting heart rate or higher VO2 max. These things are a consequence of the hard graft and effort you put in over a long period of time. They can’t be bought.

Train hard to become an Athlete of Life, lift heavy weights to discover the unexpected benefits this training brings, master your sleep and your diet, and put in the effort to become the best version of yourself. The returns on exercise go well beyond the financial, and there are so many positive benefits that you should make regular exercise a non-negotiable part of your routine.

Your body is your Temple – look after it. The more time you spend taking care of it, the greater positive returns you will see in your life, your health and your wealth. Now that’s something I can get excited about!

FAQ

I hope you found this article interesting. Thanks for reading – here’s a couple of others you may enjoy:

• Why you should appreciate the simple things in life
• Investing in the stock market and building wealth

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*If you want real gains, you should eat more protein!