Blog: Life Hacks for Leaders – Easy ways to fit exercise into your busy schedule

It is no secret that your performance in your work life is directly related to your physical, mental and emotional performance in all aspects of life. Many modern jobs are stressful and require concentration for long hours and physical stamina is a must and is absolutely required to maintain high energy during hectic travel schedules. Exercise has been proven to have a long list of benefits which can directly improve your work life, and the results you produce in your organization. For example exercise can:

• Reduce stress – exercise increases concentrations of norepinephrine, a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress, therefore improving wellbeing and boosting the body’s ability to deal with existing mental tension.
• Boost brain power – various studies on both animal test subjects and humans have shown that cardiovascular exercise can create new brain cells (neurogenesis) and improve overall brain performance.
• Sharpen memory – getting sweaty increases production of cells in the hippocampus, which is a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
• Get more done – research shows that workers who take time for exercise on a regular basis are more productive and have more energy than their more sedentary peers.

Now that you are completely convinced exercise is essential for you to be your best and most successful at work – let’s talk about how to actually fit it in, especially if your schedule is full to bursting.

Below are some ideas to fit exercise into your busy life, so there are no more excuses!

1. The simplest option is to incorporate exercise into what you are already doing in your day. For example, take the stairs instead of the lift or escalator when travelling. When going to get a coffee, walk up a few floors to the kitchen. Get off the train/ tube 1 stop early and walk the extra leg of the journey. How creative can you get?
2. Bring the gym and the personal trainers to you – there are a multitude of online platforms to coach and encourage you on a daily basis. From free options like YouTube, to celebrity endorsed paid for options, like the Centr app from Chris Hemsworth and his fitness team. The key here is to decide ahead of time which videos you will do and schedule them into your calendar, at least 3 or 4 times a week.
3. Types of exercise which can be done anywhere at almost any time. If you travel a lot running, walking, Pilates and yoga are easy to do anywhere – you just need your running shoes and a space to lie down on the floor. A combination of all 4 types exercise mentioned will give you a very well-rounded basic exercise program. (There are apps and online videos to help you with all of the above if you are a newbie.)

Easy peasy, right? Now to create a plan, commit to it and put it into action on a daily and weekly basis. Start small, celebrate your successes and build up over time.

Published Feb 13th 2020