Healthy Men, Secure Futures: The Overlooked Connection Between Wellness and Wealth

In South Africa, men’s average life expectancy is 60 years, compared to 65.6 for women. This gap is often due to men avoiding regular check-ups. Staying proactive about your health and planning for the unexpected is essential.

Just as exercise and good habits add years to your life, smart financial and estate planning adds years of security and peace of mind linking wellness and wealth in ways we often overlook.

Research shows healthier individuals spend 14% less on healthcare and are 99% less likely to fall behind on debt. Good health benefits both your well-being and your finances.

Here’s how to train both your body and your wallet for the long game

Know your health, know your wealth

November is Men’s Health Awareness Month, a time to remind men that taking care of themselves goes far beyond the gym or doctor’s office.

Most men wouldn’t drive their car for years without a service, yet many go just as long without a medical or financial check-up.

Regular check-ups save lives. Annual financial reviews do the same for your money. Think of your financial adviser as your “money doctor,” helping you check vital signs like your budget, insurance, and retirement plan the financial equivalents of blood pressure and cholesterol.

Knowledge is prevention. Understanding your finances, coverage, and goals helps you identify issues early, before they become crises.

Denial isn’t a plan. Ignoring a strange pain or an outdated policy won’t make it disappear. A quick check-up gives you clarity and control, maybe even cures the stress that comes with thinking about bills.

Healthy diet, healthy budget

“You are what you eat.” Financially, you’re also how you spend.

A balanced diet requires discipline: fewer takeaways and more home-cooked meals. A healthy budget works much the same fewer impulse buys, more intentional saving.

South Africa faces a growing debt challenge: around 12 million adults are over-indebted, and 75% of borrowers use credit (borrowing money that must be repaid with interest) just to buy essentials like food.

Trimming your financial “empty calories,” those small daily expenses that quietly pile up, can make a real difference. Paying off debt reduces stress, much like lowering your blood pressure helps your body relax.

Try the 50/30/20 rule as a guide:

• 50% for needs
• 30% for wants
• 20% for savings and investments

Start small. Skip your daily R30 cappuccino and you’ll save nearly R900 a month—a tiny shift with surprisingly big results.

Healthy financial habits, like healthy eating, quickly become second nature with benefits that compound over time.

Stay active, stay covered

Regular exercise builds resilience, as do insurance and investments. Insurance shields you from life’s unexpected blows, and investments help your wealth grow over time. Skipping either is like skipping leg day, you’ll regret it when it counts.

A recent report revealed that 80% of Momentum Life Insurance clients who passed away from critical illnesses had no critical illness cover. The lesson? Don’t wait for a health scare to fill your financial coverage gaps.

Cover your bases with the Big Five of financial fitness:

• Life insurance
• Medical aid or health insurance
• Disability cover
• Critical illness cover
• Emergency fund

These are your financial “core exercises” they keep you stable when life gets tough.

And just like fitness, consistency is key. Regular investments build long-term strength; think of it as cardio for your wallet the payoff comes later.

Think of life insurance as your financial protein shake fuelling your future strength while your emergency fund is the foam roller, smoothing out life’s bumps so you can recover faster.

Mental well-being and peace of mind: The will to plan

Worrying about your family’s future can take a mental toll. But having a will and estate plan can bring deep peace of mind. Only 41% of financially secure South Africans have a will. The rest risk leaving their families with uncertainty, delays, and unnecessary stress.

Review your will and beneficiaries regularly, especially after significant life changes, such as marriage, divorce, or the birth of a child.

Sorting out your affairs may not give you an endorphin rush, but it brings a calm that lets you sleep soundly, knowing your family will be okay.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint

Good health and financial well-being both require consistency, patience, and a balanced approach. Only 6% of South Africans have saved enough to retire comfortably. The rest face real challenges later in life. But it’s never too late to start.

Like training for a marathon, start early, stay consistent, and adjust your approach as you progress. Saving for retirement, building investments, or leaving a legacy all take time—rewarded with freedom and peace in later life.

Picture this: you’re 90, sipping rooibos on the stoep, healthy and content, watching your grandkids play knowing their education is funded by your careful planning. That’s not luck. That’s legacy in action.

Invest in your health to invest in your legacy

Caring for your health and your finances is one journey. Each supports your long-term security and legacy.

Start small. Book that doctor’s appointment. Call your financial adviser. Cut one bad habit from your diet or your spending.

Over time, these small steps lead to a lifestyle built on care, strength, and foresight.

Because real strength isn’t just in your muscles or your money — it’s in the wisdom to protect both.

Here’s to a future where your health and wealth build the legacy you deserve.

Written by Ferne Nagy Executive Financial Advisor