You know that feeling you get at night when you’re trying to wrap up your work to go to bed (but then you keep remembering about just ONE more thing that still needs to be done)?
Yeah, that thought that bounces around in your head about the same time of day, every day?
Where the HECK did my day go?
It’s simply amazing how tasks seem to swell when you’re in the early years of building your business. (Or, really, ANY years of building a business.)
And you can muscle through it–all those late nights, learning curves, ups and downs, because you’ve got drive. You’ve got an idea, the desire to succeed, and enough ambition to make sacrifices where you need to in order to make this thing happen.
But after a year or two of going at this pace, you may notice that you have something else–a few extra pounds on the scale.
These have been quietly nagging at you for some time, not just because of how you look in the mirror, but because of how you really know you should be doing a little bit better job of prioritizing your health.
If this is describing you, you’re not alone.
Every entrepreneur faces a daily, often draining, dilemma about how to allocate their ever-shrinking pockets of time.
And while the struggle is real, I’d like to dispel the myth that you don’t have time to work out. You CAN run a successful business without running yourself into the ground.
I’d love to show you how to do just that, thanks to emerging science and some of the “Aha” moments I’ve discovered running my own business (while working a full-time office job).
“Aha” Moment #1: Exercise is (joyously) one of the few investments of time that gives you a direct return in productivity.
Citing cognitive performance studies performed by academic researchers, the Harvard Business Review cites in one article that “our mental firepower is directly linked to our physical regimen.” (Source: HBR)
Multiple workplace performance experiments have concluded that not only are physically active workers better leaders overall, but also that work performance and effectiveness are directly improved on the exact days that people exercise.
In fact, that time you log into your Fitbit may be more helpful in helping you successfully navigate your next business strategy than your long list of pro’s and con’s, as evidenced by a study of executives who experienced a whopping 70% improvement in their ability to make complex decisions.
Executives who exercise experience a whopping 70% improvement in their ability to make complex decisions.
“Aha” Moment #2: We don’t need to work out as long as we used to think.
You’re not still referring to your iPad as a “Macintosh”. Your kids are busy chasing Pokemon, not Pac-Man. You’ve almost forgotten that Tab used to be a soda, not what you click on to open a new browser window.
So why are you still buying into the 80’s mentality when it comes to working out?
The era of “No Pain, No Gain” has not only fallen out of fashion–as have the achy-kneed, back-brace wearing gym rats who used to subscribe to it–but quite the opposite has been discovered as exercise science becomes more sophisticated.
We now know that too much exercise can not only lead to overuse injury, but even to MORE cortisol-induced body fat. Yep, you read that right. Too much relentless cardio can make us gain weight.
The body starts to experience a point of diminishing returns around the 45-minute mark (at least when it comes to steady-state cardio). On the other hand, the health benefits of exercise rack up more quickly than you might think.
The American Cancer Society advises that you can minimize your risk for cancer with as little as 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week. (Which translates to 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week, or 25 minutes a day, 3 days a week.)
And how about that weight loss?
It is my firm belief that a busy entrepreneur can score a flat tummy, toned muscles, and a drastic uptick in energy and creativity in as little as 20 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
So how do you get started on your quest to score a body that looks as good as your business plan?
Action Step #1: Erase the notion that a workout doesn’t “count” unless it’s a certain length of time.
All exercise is a net gain. Even getting your heart rate up as little as 5 minutes can boost creativity. And 20 minutes a day can score you a body you’re proud to show off.
Action Step #2: Set the more aggressive of your fitness goals around frequency, not duration or intensity.
Bad habits never fall out of our system. The only way to combat them is to build new ones. The most rapid route to overriding a habit of being sedentary is to repeat as many “wins” as possible under the new behavior.
Plus, when the workout itself is chill–i.e., not overbearing and doesn’t feel like a never-ending torture session that you have to muscle through–you’re more likely to associate exercise with something enjoyable that you want to repeat. This establishes an immediate “reward” loop, which will make your new habit that much more sticky. (In a good way.) Eventually, you’ll start to crave more intensity or a longer duration (promise!) and can build on top of the habit you started, but entrenching the habit itself is key.
When the workout itself is chill, you’re more likely to associate exercise with something enjoyable that you want to repeat.
Action Step #3: Commit to an online accountability group.
Yes, you really do need to belong to one more Facebook group. Hear me out on this–I know your time is valuable, and I’m telling you to find yourself an online accountability community for a very specific reason.
Studies show that individuals are TWICE as likely to stick with their health goals if they actively participate in a health-related social network group.
TWICE as likely to be nail your goals and rock the body you dream of and feel great doing it?? I’ll take those odds–and a couple extra minutes dropping into Facebook–any day.
You really do need that reminder, those virtual high-fives, and that inspiration from others who are just as busy as you.
Want in? We Wellthy Bosses have a free online community of our own, where like-minded entrepreneurs gather to encourage each other’s healthy intentions. Click HERE to request access–we’d love to have you!
So are you ready to take on a new dimension of confidence, energy, and productivity?
You’ve totally got this! Set your daily activity goals, keep them reasonable, and then share them with a supportive community like this one.
Just because you’re bottom line is expanding doesn’t mean your bottom has to! (Hehe.)
As you’re building the life and business of your dreams, you’ll also have the body to support, sustain, and enjoy all the success you’ve created.
