Q&A: How financially fit are you?

However your investments are performing at the moment, you should never forget that your health is your most valuable asset.

In her FT column last weekend, Claer Barrett wrote about how an unexpectedly high quote for medical insurance shocked her into taking steps to reduce her weight and get fitter.

“Nobody has yet written a diet book called ‘How being fat could eff-up your finances’, but I am very tempted to do so,” she wrote.

“If a pandemic-spawned depression totals my pension and economic growth goes mostly backwards for the next 20 years, being fit and healthy is going to be one of my biggest assets.

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“I will hopefully be able to work for longer, save more of what I’m earning and spend less of it on medical treatment.”

Working from home under lockdown, Claer has been able to change her routine by taking up running using the Couch to 5k app and finding time to plan healthier meals. The weight is coming off — but can she keep up the momentum in future?

See the discussion below.