Does More Exercise Lead to Higher Pay?
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Living an active, healthy lifestyle can improve your health, raise your energy level, elevate your mood and prevent a wide range of long-term risk factors like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.
But did you know exercise can also help you make more money? According to research, you don’t have to be a professional athlete with a multi-million dollar sneaker deal to reap the financial benefits of a robust fitness regimen.
Do people who exercise earn more money?
- According to a study from the Journal of Labor Research, people who exercise regularly were found to earn 6% to 10% more than their less active colleagues.
- Using self-report to gather data, the research defined regular exercise as getting in at least 20 minutes of physical activity a minimum of three times per week.
Does it matter how you exercise?
- The study also showed it isn’t just whether or not you exercise, but how hard you exercise as well.
- People who said they engage in low-intensity workouts earn an average of $54,000 annually, compared to people who engage in medium- or high-intensity workouts, who earn $67,000 and $83,000 a year, respectively.
- The findings are further reinforced by research that suggests the inverse as well – that people who live less healthy lifestyles tend to earn less. An article in Time magazine points to a study of earnings which showed women who were considered medically obese earned roughly 18% less than those whose weight was within a healthy range.
Is the relationship between fitness and salary reciprocal?
- It’s reasonable to wonder how many high-income individuals are naturally predisposed to fitness. And it’s fair to ask whether low-income individuals are vulnerable to certain fitness obstacles simply because of their socioeconomic status.
- It’s true that fitness and exercise are a reflection of lifestyle decisions. But they may also be a reflection of opportunity and circumstance.
- For instance, executive leaders with high salaries and big responsibilities may be busy, but they may also have far more direct control over how they use their time.
- Hourly wage earners rarely have this same power of self-determination.
- In addition, people with more money can afford luxuries like gym memberships, yoga classes, running shoes, Pelotons, personal trainers, and protein powders. Moreover, individuals who come from affluent or comfortable family backgrounds have also typically had better access to knowledge, education, and even coaching around physical activity.
- By contrast, individuals who begin life with lesser access to fitness resources and limited education on proper fitness practices may face added sociological disadvantages. These can ultimately develop into physical and practical impediments to fitness like obesity, chronic heart disease, and diminished mobility.
Complicating Factors
- This same study shows that the relationship between income and exercise can be convoluted by several complicating factors. They note there may be some discrepancies between self-report and actual data collection outcomes.
- How honest we are with ourselves and one another about our actual commitment to exercise? Men who make more money are more likely to say that they exercise regularly.
Here’s why all of this is such great news! There are many factors contributing to earning potential that we can’t control. But exercise is different. This is something most of us can control. Remember the best things in life – walking, jogging, hiking, exercising, playing in the yard, conversation, worship, smiling, etc. – are free! So the next time you go for a jog, take a bike ride, attend an early-morning cross-fit class, or sneak in some quick cardio before your lunch break, do it like your paycheck depends on it because it just might.