How You Can Invest in Your Health

You invest in your home, car, mutual funds and savings account. You sock away money for a rainy day and tuck away cash for gifts and vacations. Now it's time to start thinking about investing in your health.

Obtain health insurance. You may be young and healthy but accidents do happen. You may qualify for a group health insurance policy at work, if so sign up. Some companies don't offer health insurance; if that's the case obtain a major medical policy on your own. The deductible will be high as much as $10,000, but it will cover catastrophic diseases or accidents.

Exercise, pure and simple, exercise 30 minutes a day, everyday. A gym membership is one way to convince yourself you need to exercise. Choose one that's either nearby your work or your home. Invest in exercise equipment such as a stationary bicycle, a set of free weights and perhaps an exercise CD or two. Make it fun and do the exercise session together. Who knows what might happen when you're both all hot and sweaty.

Eat Right. If you're a fast food junkie, break the habit. Your local hamburger joint should be called The House of Salt and Fat. One burger, never mind the fries, contains your daily allowance of sodium and is loaded with fat. Invest in an app for your smart phone that tells you the ingredients and nutritional content of popular restaurants.

Learn how to cook. It's another activity that's fun to do together. Invest in a beginner cookbook, a set of sturdy pots and pans and a sense of humor. While you'll spend more on groceries, you'll probably save even more because you're not eating out. If grocery shop is a pain, invest in home delivery. You fill out your list online and it's delivered to your door.

Reduce stress. Stress can lead to heart disease. You might think you're too young to be worried about heart disease, but think again. It takes time for stress to impact your health. The sooner you start on a stress reduction program, the sooner you'll reap the rewards. Invest in yourself. Set up yoga classes. Sign up for dance lessons. Pick up a hobby you used to love but think you don't have time for now.