Much of society is obsessed with good health, taking gym memberships, being diet and nutrition conscious and taking advantage of the availability of good healthcare.

There is a proliferation of data on the human body available too, and now these metrics have been applied to a new parameter – our financial outlook.

Recent research indicates that enjoying good physical and mental health correlates with a positive financial status. Poor health seems to match with a deterioration of personal financial conditions.

1. Exercise

Getting regular exercise is difficult for most busy people today. But it is surprising just how much exercise can improve many aspects of your life, apart from your finances.

Exercise enhances your brain power, vigour, self-confidence, concentration and stress management, which affect your financial state.

Regular exercise activates mental agility, increasing memory and helping you focus to make better financial decisions.

Increased brain activity brings an increase in physical energy, so you won’t feel so tired and disinterested in making rational choices.

Working out regularly will raise self-esteem and confidence as well, making you better able to trust your instincts and choices.

High self-esteem can lead to better stress management as you can tackle obstacles (especially the financial ones) with determination and a positive attitude.

When you exercise to increase fitness, you will also find yourself eating a healthier diet and saving more money.

To make regular exercise a habit, set up a home gym with a few pieces of equipment or just keep it simple with things like jogging, stretching, yoga and so on.

But do not go on a crash diet and start taking health supplements. These things will eat up more money than they would produce effective results. Just distribute a minimum of two and half hours of exercise weekly over several days.

2. De-stress

Some people say bad experiences motivate us to fight for what we truly desire. But too many negative emotions can be harmful to your fitness and your finances. Stress, depression and nervousness can drag you down.

Poor health can lead to increased medical expenses, higher absenteeism from work, a decrease in the quality of your work and not being able to follow instructions accurately.

You may have to spend money on anti-anxiety/depression pills, counselling and may end up bingeing on food and retail therapy. Moreover, you may ruin your potential to earn more money.

In addition to exercise, taking up a hobby, talking to a close friend or relative or cleaning and reorganising the house may help manage negative feelings.

If the stress is caused by debt, there are a few things you can do. List all your debts in order, starting with those carrying the highest interest rate and ending with those with the lowest.

Do your best to repay the ones with the highest interest as fast as you can. Keep doing this until all debt is paid off.

3. Eat right

Eating oily and fatty foods will take a toll on your fitness and pull down your financial standing.

Working women may find it difficult to make time to cook fresh meals every day but eating out or heating up ready meals all the time is unhealthy. By eating fresh and healthy at home, you save half of what it might cost you to eat out.

And an Oxford University study found that lab rats fed a fatty diet showed decreased mental activity compared with those fed less fatty food.

The fat-fed rats had shorter memories and decreased brain activity, meaning a person may make unwise financial decisions.

4. Sleep well

Sufficient sleep is crucial for anyone who works hard. Staying up late or surviving on fewer than four hours of sleep a night affects the ability to think clearly and logically.

It can result in severe drowsiness, almost like being drunk on too much alcohol. In such a state, financial decision-making can be poor and can end in taking on unnecessary financial obligations and wasting money.

Good, regular sleeping habits are important. We all know the old saying, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

If you find yourself regularly pulling late-nighters, try to gradually get your sleeping pattern back to normal. If you have trouble falling asleep early, read a book (hard copy, not an ebook) and avoid staring at the illuminated screen of your smartphone or tablet.

Harvard University suggests that a healthy amount of sleep is seven to nine hours, very busy people might have to squeak by on five or six. In this case, try to take as many 10-minute power naps as possible to help boost your thinking ability for a while.

This article first appeared in The New Savvy

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