What's the Return on Investment of Getting Healthy?

Your Greatest Asset is YOU

Friday, October 9, 2026

We understand the basic principle of investing today for the benefit of tomorrow. But what happens when the investment is you? What is the return on investment of getting healthy, and how much could actually change if you made intentional choices for the next month? What about six months?

We often think about getting healthy in extremes. We imagine completely changing our diet, exercising every day, losing a significant amount of weight, or becoming an entirely different person. But meaningful improvements don’t necessarily require a complete reinvention of your life, in fact, data supports consistent small growth beats drastic changes in the long run. The World Health Organization's guidelines on physical activity emphasize that regular movement benefits people across the lifespan, including older adults, and is associated with improved cardiovascular health, mental health, sleep, bone health, and physical function. The CDC similarly notes that some benefits of physical activity can begin almost immediately, including improvements in sleep, anxiety, and blood pressure, while regular activity over time is associated with a lower risk of several chronic diseases. [1, 2] The important point is that your investment doesn't have to be enormous before you begin to see a return.

This raises another question that I think is especially important: What if I'm 60? What if I'm 70? Is it too late to start? Your goals may look different at different stages of life, but the opportunity to improve your health doesn't disappear with age. The CDC specifically highlights the importance of physical activity for older adults because of its relationship with strength, balance, bone health, cognitive health, independence, and quality of life. [3] Maybe your life goal isn't to run a sub four hour marathon. Maybe it's to walk comfortably while traveling, get up from the floor without assistance, keep hiking with your spouse, play with your grandchildren, or simply remain independent for as long as possible. These are meaningful returns on your investment, too.

The return on your health investment isn't necessarily one number. It is what your health allows you to do with your life.

Now imagine what six months of intentional choices could look like. You don't have to be perfect, and you don't have to change everything at once. Perhaps you begin taking regular walks, add strength training twice a week, make more nutritious meals at home, prioritize your sleep, or find better ways to manage stress. Six months later, the scale might have changed—or it might not have changed very much. But perhaps your strength has improved. Perhaps you sleep better, have more energy in the afternoon, feel more comfortable climbing the stairs, or have greater confidence in your body. Perhaps you have simply developed habits that make taking care of yourself feel more natural. The return on your health investment isn't necessarily one number. It is what your health allows you to do with your life.

One of the principles we understand well in financial planning is that consistency matters. Health is no different. You don't need to know everything about nutrition or exercise, and you don't need to start from an ideal starting point. You simply need to identify the next worthwhile investment. For one person, that may be a daily walk. For another, it may be learning how to build more 30 September 2026 Riverfront Capital Strategies nutritious meals, establishing a consistent sleep schedule, beginning strength training, or finally addressing a health goal that has been put off for years. The goal isn't to create a perfect version of yourself; it is to give yourself the best possible opportunity to enjoy the life you're investing so much time and energy to build.

Your greatest asset is you, and there is still plenty of time to see what your investment can become.

So, what could six months change? Six months from now, you will have six more months of life either way. The question is what you choose to do with them. You could look back and wish you had started, or you could look back and realize that six months ago, you made a decision to invest in yourself—and that decision became the beginning of something much bigger. That is the heart of Health is Wealth. Over the coming months, I look forward to sharing practical, realistic ways to invest in your health without feeling overwhelmed by everything you could be doing. You don't have to change everything, and you don't have to have it all figured out. You simply have to start.

Your greatest asset is you, and there is still plenty of time to see what your investment can become.

LG Taylor, Director of RCS Health is Wealth Initiative

Sources: 1. World Health Organization. WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. 2020. 2. 3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Benefits of Physical Activity for Adults. Updated 2026. 4. 5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical Activity Benefits for Adults 65 or Older. Updated 2025. 6.

(The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.  All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results.  All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.)