The End-of-Year Wellness Checkup: Are Your Fitness and Finances on Track?

Fitness & Finance Radio podcast offers tips for conducting a wellness check

Wellness checks are nothing new. In fact, the National Institutes of Health reports that the routine annual comprehensive physical exam became a fixture in America in the 1940s. By the 1980s, numerous health organizations had chimed in to provide recommendations, further increasing its popularity. Today, they are still conducted in medical offices and privately by individuals seeking to improve their physical and financial well-being.

“You can’t simply go along without doing a yearly evaluation, or you won’t know where you are and if you are getting closer to where you want to be,” said Jeff Smith, a financial planner and owner of The Retirement Smith. “Doing a wellness checkup on your finances and physical life is the best way to keep on track.”

Smith and his wife, Jennifer Scherer, who owns Fredericksburg Fitness Studio, run Fitness & Finance Radio. Through their discussions on the podcast, they share tips, information, and inspiration for individuals interested in enhancing their fitness and financial well-being. While many people are not directly aware of it, the two concepts are closely related, with each having an impact on the other. Maintaining strength in both areas is the best way to enjoy today and be fully prepared for the future.

The duo is urging people to make December the time for conducting an annual physical or wellness check to assess their health and fitness. People must consider their vitals in these areas, including evaluating their strength, sleep, savings, and security. Only once that is done will they be able to determine where they are, if they are making progress, and what adjustments need to be made to get back on track or to create a future path.

Here are a few tips for conducting an annual fitness and financial wellness check this December:

• Take the measurements. Evaluating your current physical and financial situation may take some time and effort, but it’s the only way to understand where you stand truly. Do the work to gather the information so it can be evaluated and plans can be made in the future.
• Consider outside advice. Many people need outside advice because they are not expected to be experts in every aspect of fitness or finances. Be sure to reach out to the necessary resources to obtain the assistance you need, including working with a personal trainer or a financial planning expert. They can help set you on a successful path.
• Review the plans and progress. Consider what plans were in place and whether any adjustments need to be made in the future. Circumstances change, which can lead to changes in one’s plans. This is why a yearly wellness check is effective. Be adaptable to help ensure long-term success. Be ready and willing to revise the plans going forward.
• Create a preventative checklist. Wellness plans often focus on taking preventive measures. During your annual checkup, consider what preventative measures you can take to strengthen your physical and financial health and outlook.
• Commit to learning more. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, financial knowledge and decision-making skills enable people to make informed decisions, including determining how to save and spend, comparing costs, and planning for retirement. Take the time to learn new things that will help you maintain and strengthen your fitness and finances in the New Year.

“The most important message I share with people regarding their physical fitness journey is to focus on progress, not perfection,” said Jennifer Scherer, certified personal trainer and owner of Fredericksburg Fitness Studio. “It’s important to celebrate the progress that is made, so if you conduct the wellness check and there’s progress, do that! If there’s not as much progress as you would like, decide the path to take and keep going.”

Smith and Scherer, a married couple, created a podcast that focuses on holistic wellness and retirement financial planning. The Fitness & Finance Radio podcast provides an in-depth look at essential topics people need to know regarding their health and finances, which are closely tied. Listeners can tune in to hear the duo discuss the issues and gain advice and insight that may help them now and in their retirement years. The two bring passion and experience to the table, with Smith being a financial planner and owner of The Retirement Smith, and Scherer being a health and fitness expert and owner of The Fredericksburg Fitness Studio. Both businesses are located in Fredericksburg and have a long-standing reputation for providing excellent services to their clients.

The Fitness & Finance Radio podcast is available for free on YouTube. The Retirement Smith serves those in the Fredericksburg, Va., area and beyond with individualized financial planning. Fredericksburg Fitness Studio provides private, customized fitness programs available by appointment. Their reformer Pilates fitness training program is a fun and unique exercise method with many benefits. The reformer program helps with strength, flexibility, balance and coordination, core control, and more. To learn more about Fitness & Finance Radio visit https://fitnessfinancepro.com/. Or, check out Fredericksburg Fitness Studio: https://www.fburgfitness.com or The Retirement Smith via our website at: https://www.theretirementsmith.com/.

About Fitness & Finance Radio

Fitness & Finance Radio is a podcast produced by the married couple Jeff Smith and Jennifer Scherer. Both own businesses in Fredericksburg, Va., with Smith as a financial planning expert and owner of The Retirement Smith, and Scherer as a fitness and nutrition expert and owner of the Fredericksburg Fitness Studio. To learn more about Fitness & Finance Radio, visit https://fitnessfinancepro.com/. Fredericksburg Fitness Studio, visit the site: https://www.fburgfitness.com or The Retirement Smith visit our website at: https://www.theretirementsmith.com/.