So this weekend a friend and I worked out together. My usual routine is 5 days a week and weekends to myself, but I thought I’d throw in some extra credit this weekend just for fun.

So we’re at my gym and he’s on the spinning cycle while I’m cranking out a few pull-up variations and we get to talking.

Y’know, just crankin’ ’em out….

“Hey Rego?”

“Yeah?” I say between breaths.

“What’s the point of all this really? I mean besides the physical results, why really bother if you just eat right?”

It’s here I drop from the bar wiping sweat off my forehead and giving him the look.

The look being the “are you serious” kind.

At first, I thought about giving him the long, logical, “it practically makes sense, man” type explanation…but I didn’t. Instead, I uttered these three words:

“It makes money”.

Puzzled, he looked on at me trying to fathom how that even made any sort of sense at all.

You’re probably wondering the same thing. Well, let me elaborate….

Exercise…working out…fitness, whatever you may want to call it, is one of the many things that breeds success. Sure, there are many other things that breed success, but to be honest, working out, scientifically, can get your head clear…and if you have blue skies in the horizon where your dome is (dome as in, noggin…as in head), you’re far less likely to experience a “success block.” Ever heard that saying “empty room empty mind”? Yeah, the same applies here.

And contrary to popular belief, fitness isn’t just about the physical results – in my opinion, that’s just a perk.

Think of it this way – by staying fit, (along with healthy eating), you eliminate stress. Stress causes toxic release, and can also cause high levels of LDLs/VLDLs to be released – aka “bad cholesterol”. By working out, this counters those LDLs/VLDLs with HDLs, or “good cholesterol.”

Yes, there is such a thing, as good cholesterol.

Archer Season 2: “Wait wait wait…there’s GOOD cholesterol…???”

By eliminating stress, you have more energy, more awareness, and more clarity. All of these combined can be of extraordinary benefit, because this means you can focus more on brainstorming and have ideas “pop” into your head, staying there with better vividness and goal oriented objectives.

Many of the private clients I train are corporate level people. While some drop off like flies because they can’t hack the workouts, others stick around understanding exactly why they’re doing it.

It’s not hard work they’re after. They’re not masochists…but they do understand that the slight edge comes from doing little things that seem to make little difference – but in fact are huge.

They understand that it’s not just about acquiring money – but keeping your head clear, focused, driven, and on track to acquire, keep, and distribute that money most effectively.

Right down to the penny.

The sad part is many people don’t look at life that way….I can tell you of people who make in excess of $1 million per annum…but their cash flow makes them live like a $30,000 per annum type person.

Understand this whole discussion on fitness is partially a metaphor…and partially fact. For a while now you guys have seen me blog on epic life experiences to keep your imaginations active, contribute to your lives being filled with fun, and remind you to not take every little thing so seriously.

Today though, I want you to see the scientific side of things.

So often nowadays many just sit on their bums tapping away at their smart phones, they never ponder over why they really DO any of the things they do. You get out there, you pitch, you make money, but for what…? What actual goal is it that you have in mind, that motivates you…?

People who say they work a job or own a business for the passion of it, I call bullshit. Yes, true, you can thoroughly enjoy the work you do, but really it still boils down to an objective.

This is what fitness does.

It trains you mentally to form objectives.

To form milestones.

To form goals.

Without this, all of humanity would just be a meandering and meaningless existence.

The first time I saw this, I laughed, thinking no way humans would ever get to that state….now, I stand in silence sometimes.

The lion hunts to eat.

The bird flies to travel from A to B.

Even the shrimp sucks up bacteria for a greater purpose.

Every living thing, was designed for an objective.

The difference is, humans have free will. They have choice. Something that was never given or bestowed upon any other creature on earth.

When I look at people, and I see them exercising – I see someone who takes initiative – for themselves mostly but indirectly for every other choice in their life.

Financially speaking, working out is beneficial in that it can clear your head on different levels. A difficult, long-enduring workout can make you feel reborn again the next morning. It may hurt like hell the first time, but it makes you feel different. Working out, any kind of working out unblocks certain paths in the brain to enhance thinking, heighten awareness, and adjust to environment.

This is why some guys who just pump iron for size, well…I call them lazy gym buffs.

As an entrepreneur, it’s all about improv, new ideas, improved thinking, different methods of approach, finding more than one solution, and finding the most effective way to get something accomplished.

Being active in fitness for more than 10 years, all of these principles and concepts apply in both business and health.

Just another reason why I’m a great admirer of contact and combat sports such as MMA and fencing.

They open your mind to thinking steps ahead of your opponent…and your opponent doesn’t even have to be another person – it could be thinking ahead for potential future business concepts.

Look at Donald Trump.

Robert Kiyosaki.

Tim Ferriss.

Venus & Serena Williams.

Kelly Slater.

Heck, Warren Buffet even.

They all share a common trait. They all hold a certain set of beliefs and ideas about both business and lifestyle. The two are inseparable.

It’s athlete’s like these which will always be ahead of the game…even when they come out of it. Kelly Slater – moving from performance to product. Genius.

They all think one, two, even three steps ahead of the game. That game you could label as life, business, anything. The bottom line is, they’ve learned to alter their thinking to such an extent that when it really is game time – they don’t choke – but seize the opportunity.

He who hesitates is lost.

This is what I meant when I said to my friend fitness makes money.

It clears your head.

Opens your mind.

Makes you constantly think of new, different ways to enhance your health…just another reason why I try never to let my private clients get bored with their workouts – you get bored with the workout, it becomes routine – routine is damaging. A routine workout can be as bad as being stuck in the rat race – you’re on that treadmill never thinking of when you’ll reach your destination because you’re too distracted by meaningless crap that keeps you from looking at your milestone markers, which help you indicate how much road you’ve got left to go.

TVs on treadmills….minus ten points.

It’s all about TRACKING progress. Self-evaluation is critical. Don’t ignore the miles – count them and jump for joy every time you can go an extra one.

Remember – it does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you have an objective and DO. NOT. STOP.

Advance past go and collect $200.

– Rego

Musings Episode 9: Fitness, Stress, and Finances… is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life