There could be a way to make it free, or even turn it into a revenue generator. You could get a paper route and wake up at five every morning running from house to house throwing the daily news into people’s flowerbeds. I’m not sure how much paperboys get paid, but I think it would more than offset the cost of running gear. It’s just a thought.

Gym memberships cost. Healthy food costs. Workout clothing and shoes cost. Personal music players cost. Good personal trainers cost a lot.

It’s all worth it.

I’m not saying you should let your kids starve or send them to raid the lost and found bin at school for new clothes, but this is a financial investment that you won’t regret.

Think of it this way: this is your new hobby, and hobbies cost money. This is not some pain-in-the-ass endeavor that is going to just suck dollars out of your wallet; it is something awesome that you like spending money on. Do you play golf? Think about how much that friggin’ sport costs. Or how about owning a boat? Those things cost a fortune to buy, run and maintain.

Compared to golfing and boating, getting in shape should be pretty affordable. Also, if you do eat out or order in a lot then the entire diet aspect will probably come out as a wash. It is an unfortunate truth that healthy food often costs more than processed crap at the grocery store, but restaurants are much more expensive. Booze is expensive too. If you cut down on the restaurant eating and give your liver a break it should even out accounts.

At least I didn’t tell you to spend $500 a month on supplements.

These can range in price from affordable to outrageous. They can even be free if you happen to work at a place that provides a nice one for employees. If that is the case then I hate you.

You will see in the next chapter that I consider getting a gym membership a must. Let’s set that aside and discuss the financial aspect of this assertion for now. Price will be one of the factors that you use to evaluate which gym you choose to make your new home away from home. However, it is important to understand that this is going to be a place where you will spend a lot of time, so you want it to be somewhere you like and feel as though you can fit in. If you hate going there then this is all a wasted effort. All other things being equal, go for the less expensive place of course, but it could be worth paying more for a gym where you get a positive vibe about the environment, or if it is in a more convenient location, or if the babes are better looking.

All this shit costs money:

• Proper running shoes (note that they wear out and need to be replaced regularly)
• Other running attire
• Gym clothing
• Bicycle
• Inline skates
• Downhill and cross country skis and related equipment
• Team sports equipment
• Squash / tennis racquets
• Yoga mat (trust me on this one)

All this shit does NOT cost money:

• Body-bow-blade-ellipto-flex machines
• The Abdominator 9000
• Any other home equipment

As you will see in the next chapter, home equipment is a waste of money, so you don’t have to worry about buying any of it. The only piece of home equipment I want you to get is a yoga mat. The rest of it sucks. Again, trust me.

• If you want to learn a new sport, like tennis or downhill skiing, you likely need to pay an expert to teach you to do this.
• Hiring a personal trainer is a must; you start with one in Phase 4. At a minimum you need 6 one-hour sessions. Three sessions at the beginning, followed by three sessions around six months later. You may wish to have an additional three sessions a year later. The reason is that a book can only do a mediocre job of teaching you proper lifting technique. Someone qualified needs to show you first hand. They need to watch you do it and provide feedback. Also, you need to hire a good one, and they cost more. For three sessions you are looking at anywhere from $150 to $250. It will be worth it. More on this and details on how to select a good one in Phase 4.
• Things like downhill skiing or joining a team all have fees associated with them. Budget carefully.

I am fortunate to be doing well financially, so my family and I can afford to live healthy lifestyles. This is not because my wife and I make piles of money (yes, she’s a doctor, but we live in Canada and family docs don’t get paid a lot here. Michael Moore left that part out of his “documentary”). We do okay because we manage our money. My car is kind of a piece of shit. My house isn’t that big. I haven’t been on an exotic beach vacation in six years (unless you count Disneyland two years ago). I should note that we’re thinking about a week in Hawaii some time in the next year.

Anyway, I don’t want to encourage you to go into debt in order to accomplish this. How you manage your money is your business. I will tell you that getting in shape is a worthwhile investment, but it’s one you have to follow through on. It doesn’t work if you just spend a bunch of cash on equipment and memberships if you end up never exercising. You have to use the stuff.

Following the advice in this book is more or less certain to help you achieve the following goals:

• Better looking
• Healthier
• Higher performance
• Improved feelings of wellness and boosted self esteem

By itself, that’s pretty awesome. However, it can do other things like make you more successful in your career. Remember that, on average, better-looking people get paid more. Also think about the sense of accomplishment you will have. I have reported time and again that getting in shape is not an easy undertaking. By succeeding at this you will have a strengthened will to succeed in other areas of life. It is possible that getting in shape will give you the determination to go after and achieve some big promotion, or perhaps launch your own business. You never know, this may end up being the catalyst that makes the rest of your life much more successful.

In the end, remember that life isn’t all about money. From a career perspective I don’t think I would have pursued an MBA if I wasn’t already in shape. Getting fit gave me the mental fortitude to pursue the degree and be one of the top students in the class. In turn, this gave me the ability to do well in my career also. That notwithstanding, it also gave me a good perspective about what is best in life: health and happiness. Conan disagrees with me on this one.

I’ve got in-demand business skills. I could get another job that pays me at least 50% more than I make right now, but it would also demand a lot more of my time, wear me out and stress me out, and drive me to an early grave. I’m much happier making less money, with less stress, and more time for my family and for exercise.