Introduction: Why is health the asset with the highest return in life?
In "Rich Dad Poor Dad", Robert Kiyosaki defines assets as:
Assets bring you returns continuously; liabilities consume you persistently.
If we apply this logic to life itself, we will find that:
Health is precisely the most easily overlooked yet least likely to depreciate asset in life.
It does not naturally appreciate as you age, but as long as you keep investing in it, it will use time as a lever to continuously enhance the quality of your life.
Why is health considered a "long-term asset"?
Many people take health for granted as a background condition until they lose it and realize its importance. However, from an asset perspective, health has three typical characteristics:
Compound interest effect: It requires long-term investment. Twenty minutes of exercise every day may not show immediate results, but after five years, it will return to you in the form of "extremely low morbidity" and "high energy levels".
Irreversibility: Financial losses can be recovered, but severe overuse of the body's functions is often irreversible, and the cost of repair is extremely high.
High leverage: A good physical condition can improve your decision-making quality and emotional stability, thereby amplifying your returns in your career.
Among the several assets that do not depreciate over time, health ranks first
【Apart from monetary assets, what other life assets appreciate over time?】
The changes brought about by long-term exercise usually become apparent after several years.
I myself began to truly understand this after accidentally getting involved in running.
Counting from the time I started to stick to it, it has been 7-8 years.
The biggest changes are not in the body shape, but rather:
- Respiratory infections almost disappear
- Resistance significantly improves
- Energy becomes more stable
Regular aerobic exercise is the lowest-cost and most efficient way to enhance immunity.
Running is a form of exercise that can be done anytime and anywhere. Running every day has become a part of my daily routine, just like eating and sleeping.
Nowadays, more and more people are taking to running, precisely because it is simple and can be sustained!
【When people reach middle age, running is like saving their lives】.
【Running is the best medical beauty treatment for women】!
Why is "being able to persist" more important than "what to practice"?
Naval repeatedly emphasized in his 《The Almanack of Naval Ravikant》:
The form of exercise is not important; what matters is whether you can persist day after day.
In reality, many people do not lack awareness of the importance of exercise;
instead, they choose methods that cannot be sustained over a long period.
For me:
- I like dancing and playing ball games
- But what can be truly sustained in the long term is running and yoga
The reason is simple:
- Not dependent on others
- Not restricted by the venue
- Can start at any time
Yoga, which has been a form of exercise for me for many years, started earlier than running and is more suitable for people who sit for long periods.
The only criterion for a truly effective exercise method is this: Can you keep doing it consistently?
Health investment is essentially an "anti-fragility capability".
When a person is in good physical condition:
- They recover faster after a night of sleep
- They are less likely to break down under pressure
- They have more flexibility when facing changes
This is a very typical "anti-fragile asset".
However, those who neglect their health over the long term: Often have to stop at critical points in life due to physical problems.
Health is not an end goal, but rather the foundation that determines how far you can go.
Maintaining a regular schedule, eating on time, and engaging in consistent exercise – these may not sound particularly advanced, but they are the underlying support for all long-term achievements.
Now, I have intentionally incorporated "micro strength training" into my yoga practice: such as: Plank, push-ups, and squats, etc.
Plank, push-ups, and squats may seem simple, but performing them correctly is not easy. Repeated practice and learning from videos is necessary to master the techniques.
It is not for challenging the limits, but to ensure that this asset steadily increases in value over time.
Below is the table I have compiled for the extremely simple asset maintenance configuration (as shown in the table below)
Conclusion ： The earlier you invest in your health, the more choices you will have in life.
The form of exercise is not important; what matters is whether you can persist day after day. The truly effective exercise is the kind that "doesn't depend on a venue, doesn't depend on others, and can be started at any time and anywhere".
Health won't turn your life around overnight, but it will, ten years later, gradually create a gap between people.
When you treat health as a long-term asset to manage, you will find:
People who are self-disciplined really become more valuable as they age.
-------Extended Reading and Resources
(Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links：As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.）
The books and tools I mentioned are part of my curated toolkit. If you're interested, I've compiled them all on [My reading list ] & [My everyday toolkit] page for easy access.”