3 expensive fitness and health fads to avoid

Health is wealth, as the adage says. True enough. You can't make a better investment than towards items and activities that enhance your total wellbeing. However, you live in an age where you inevitably get exposed to idyllic health and fitness social media accounts and influencers. On Instagram alone, you can thumb through influencer accounts with the seemingly “perfect” lifestyle. Beware as it can take you down the rabbit hole of spending unnecessarily just to attain an ideal.

If you're going to invest, make sure to put your money where it's worth. Here are some that you shouldn't spend too much money on.

Trendy (and Often Overpriced) Exercise Clothes

Having comfortable and reliable exercise clothes is always useful in any workout. But before buying another set of yoga pants, try to reflect on whether you’re getting it because you need it or because they looked cute on that celebrity on IG.

It may not be as exciting to wear your same old black leggings while working out at home and while it’s perfectly fine to treat yourself from time to time, you should ask yourself if this new purchase can contribute to your long-term health and fitness goals. If the answer is no, then just move on. Because no matter how adorable it may look, those trendy new yoga pants aren’t going to magically give you more willpower to work out beyond the first day you get to wear them.

Fancy Gym Membership

Nothing is wrong with spending money on a gym membership. However, you have to be realistic with your goals and current abilities before forking over your cash.

Most people think signing up for membership would lock them in a commitment that will force them to go. However, there are several hidden charges in gyms fees. Mathematically, the annual payment's lower monthly price only makes sense if you are going to use the service. This is when the cost-per-use mentality comes in handy because the annual membership would only make sense if you can go a minimum number of times a year. Calculate if you are willing and able to meet this number to break even and, if not, then what is the point?

Gyms provide a conducive place to push yourself, physically and mentally, but while it’s a fun way to exercise, it’s not the only way to exercise. No matter if it’s a new gym promising the best equipment, a hastily assembled weight room in your garage, or just a yoga mat and your laptop in front of you, your success is determined by the effort you put into your workout—wherever it may be.

Detox Teas and Restrictive Diets

As a general rule, you should view any product that promises a shortcut to weight loss and fitness with a lot of skepticism. Many of these “weight loss teas” and other diets promoted by social media influencers can cause harmful side effects. Don’t forget that these social media influencers are getting paid thousands of pesos to peddle these items to their followers. Most of them also do not have a medical background and would not have an understanding of the actual contents of the items they are promoting and how it could be detrimental.

Considering, many of these “detox teas” and restrictive diets circulating across social media are backed rarely by reliable science, beware of them as they may have long-term harmful effects on your health.

As a caveat, there is nothing inherently wrong with investing in the above items. By all means, if you feel that any of the above truly helps you with your health and fitness goals, then go right ahead. Just make sure these add value to your physical and mental wellbeing and that you are not buying into an idea because there is no need to go broke for an illusion.

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