How many times have you thought about hitting the gym before or after work and found yourself making excuses as to “why” you couldn’t?
For most of us, the struggle to exercise is real. I get it, things happen and even the best laid plans fall victim to negative self-talk. I catch myself all the time thinking, “It’s been a long day at the office, I’ll work out tomorrow”. For most of us, the problem with this line of circular thinking is that we never actually make it to the gym. Sound familiar?
Missing your workout once in a while isn’t a bad thing. Life happens and sometimes we need a little extra rest. Where it becomes problematic is when this type of thinking becomes habitual and one begins to reach for daily “excuses” why they can’t make it to the gym vs. actually investing that energy into a 30/45-minutes at the gym. Be honest with yourself – which category do you fit into? Have you made working out a daily part of your routine or is it typically just an afterthought?
A few things to consider regarding exercise and work productivity:
- Exercise releases endorphins (among other super-cool neurotransmitters) that help reduce pain and stress. In most cases, it only takes about 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise to take advantage of these incredible benefits.
- Working out improves brain health and memory. Frequent exercise promotes blood flow to the brain which in turn helps improve (and protect) one’s mental function. Regardless of age, this benefit can come in handy in jobs (or in family matters) where quick recall is important.
- It’s easier to fall asleep after a nice workout. Instead of lying in bed with a flood of thoughts and emotions from a tough day, the body quickly falls into a sound sleep cycle that results in a deeper overall sleep along with less daytime drowsiness throughout your day.
I could go on and on, as there are countless other benefits to exercise that could be discussed including weight loss, improved sex life, reduction in health issues, etc. However, I can tell you with 100% certainty that integrating a consistent exercise program into my daily routine has changed life as I know it for the better. At almost 50 years of age, I have more energy now than I did when I was in college and am in far better shape than most of the 20-somethings I train with. I also have the mental clarity and physical stamina necessary to stay laser focused on Bear Ice Company and Iceboxphoto.com as they continue to evolve and grow. And if these aren’t reasons enough to consider exercise as a tool to improve work productivity, I’m not sure what would be.