Yesterday I was sent two separate articles from friends about running in a poor economy and began to think about how running is affected by it. This is something that I have thought about many times before not only because I am a runner, but also because I am an economist who enjoys getting value out of every dollar. Some of the reasons I enjoy running so much are that it costs nearly nothing and you can do it where ever, whenever. I have never understood people who spend sixty dollars a month for gym memberships when the streets and trails or free. Maybe it’s a social experience for them. Maybe they do a lot of weight training; I do push-ups and sometimes I even find a bar so I pull myself up above it, over and over again. It’s pretty hot. No matter how we exercise though, we can all agree that even in a poor economy it is very important to stay healthy and look your best. At your job interview you want to look like you have the endurance to work those long hours don’t you? I thought so. One often overlooked reason it is important to stay healthy in a bad economy is that exercising is preventive medicine; keeping you from paying high health care costs later. A study found that those who worked out twice a week for 2 years saved 1,252 dollars in health care cost over those who exercised only once a week. Likewise, people who are overweight by thirty pounds typically spend between 5,000-21,000 dollars more on health care than people of average weight. Not only do they have to spend more money for food, but also on health care costs! Unbelievable.
Running is also a relatively inexpensive sport. I run almost everyday and it barely costs me a dime. However, there are two aspects of running that can become expensive: running shoes and participating in races. Running shoes guard against injury and thus may save you money in the long-run (no pun intended). Remember, I value every dollar, and spending a bit extra for a good pair of running shoes is well worth it to me. However, before you spend a premium price for running shoes you want to make sure they are the right pair for you. On this site at there are detailed descriptions along with runner’s reviews of running shoes to help you make the right decision for you. You’re welcome.
The other major cost to runners is participating in events. This cost is a personal judgment call depending on how much money you need to save and how valuable running certain events is to you. In times like these I continue to participate in the events that I have a tradition of participating in but typically do not try new events or run in the random 10k just because I live near it. You can decide which races are worth the price based on other runner’s reviews.
You can stop Running out of money and Recession Proof yourself! Now who’s up for some McDonald’s dollar menu?