3 Reasons Your Health is Your #1 Retirement Investment

If I was told that I could only do one thing to plan for my retirement, it would be to invest in my health. And the following are 3 reasons why I say that health is the best thing you can invest in for retirement.

1.)  If you are in good health you are more likely to miss fewer days of work, to be more focused, effective and “present” at work and thus to do a better job and improve your chances of a pay raise and / or a promotion.  Plus, considering that many of the chronic diseases retirees face can be eliminated or delayed though better health choices earlier in life, it goes to reason that investing in your investment in health now has a very real probability of lowering your healthcare expenses in retirement.  You don't want to spend your health to build your wealth only to spend your wealth only to get your health back!  This leads to reason #2...

2.)  If you are healthy, you will have the choice to work later into your life. Nearly half of current retirees retired sooner than they expected to and the number one reason was health - either their own deteriorating health or to be a care-giver for a loved one.

3.)  Your health will determine what activities you are able to enjoy in retirement. Will you be able to play with grandchildren, travel and enjoy other leisure activities; or will you be immobile and in pain? A large determinant of which scenario will be your reality will be determined by how seriously you invest in your health during your working years.

So what do you think is the #1 retirement investment and why? If you also choose health, are there reasons other than the ones I gave that stand out to you?