William J.Smith

Whether we are discussing financial health or physical health, the ultimate goal is the same. Balance. Balance in your portfolio, systems of your body, and in your daily fitness regiment.

As more and more Baby Boomers (Americans born between 1946-1964) enter into retirement, the socioeconomic influence exerted by this large segment of the population, combined with large scale relocation to warmer climates, will redefine how the commercial marketplace provides leisure services. There are approximately 78 million Baby Boomers in the US. This large demographic sector accounts for trillions of dollars in disposable income waiting to be invested in leisure and wellness activities that provide an enhanced quality of life to their participants. The take home point is that a healthy lifestyle will have a direct impact on a person's ability TO SPEND the disposable income this wealthy generation of Americans will have.

Doug Vander Wiede, senior financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial, says the following "My mission is to inspire people to make better financial decisions and to convey the importance of leading an active, healthy lifestyle. You need to be healthy to enjoy the money you've made"…Mr. Vander Wiede goes on to comment that in the future a financial advising will also play the role of a life coach, essentially catering to the intertwined financial needs and lifestyle aspirations of individual clients. Advisors will provide education on well-being and access to experts who can provide nutrition and fitness information along with stress management techniques (Wall Street Journal, 2006).

Mr. Wiede, who inspires his clients to live wisely and spend wisely, is indirectly providing financial services via the body. Similarly, practitioners in the complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) sector (http://nccam.nih.gov) are helping clients draw a link between the well-being of their body and the well-being of their pocketbook.
CAM is generally accepted as an excellent compliment to clinical medicine, namely visiting your physician for a check up or physical. Techniques in complimentary medicine such as meditation have been proven to 're-focus the connection between the mind-body connection, essentially rounding out your ability to stay on task and make important decisions related to such as areas such as finance and investing. The Mayo Clinic describes meditation as the following: "While there are different paths to meditation in general, when you're meditating, you're concentrating. The focus of your concentration can be anything -- an object, a sound or even your own breathing. The goal of meditation is to focus on the moment, clearing away your worries". Activities such as breathing deeply in quiet locations, or performing Tai Chi ( www.tai-chi.com ) or Yoga ( www.yogajournal.com ), can assist in clearing your thoughts to re-focus on the 'big picture' of health, financial or physical.

Participating in activities such as mediation, yoga, or strength training, can lead to a greater sense of well-being and equilibrium in life. Moreover surround yourself with positive people such as a dedicated financial advisor, knowledgeable personal trainer, and a community of like minded individuals with a greater purpose. The most productive years of your life are ahead of you so take time to invest in your greatest asset….health.