Fitness and Work – Can they coexist?

So you’re a manager or executive and you can’t find the time to stay fit. Start at 7am and end at 7pm. The project needs to get done. Your Team really needs you. You’re the only one who can fix the problem. You’re next in line for a promotion. Or worse yet, your boss demands that you be there. I’ve been there and I get it. However, I am here to tell you that you are sacrificing your future if you continue down that path. I thought back over the past two years and realize how many of my peers had health issues. High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Weight Management, Headaches, Stomach Issues. A lot of them also had muscle imbalances from sitting in chair all day long. I also unfortunately, personally have lost friends who were in the 50s and 60s before they had a chance to reap the benefits of their hard work. So…what is one to do?

The answer is simple, but the execution is hard. You just need to make fitness a priority in your life. It’s that simple. I have a client who is in School Administration who is in meetings pretty much all day. One of the things that takes up her time is meeting with students who need some counseling. One of her goals was to just power walk 15 – 30 minutes a day. At first we were stumped, but then she realized that she could go on walks with her students! The more meetings she has, potentially the more walking she can do. She focused on the solution instead of the problem.

At one of the places I worked, we were told not to schedule meetings during lunch… period. For the most part, it worked as it came down from the Executives. But who was the biggest offender? Yep. Managers and Executives. We seem to think we are important and that the company “needs” us. Based on over 30 years in the trenches, I can assure you that…

Everyone Is Expendable

Humor me here. Short of not meeting with your boss or perhaps the CEO, block out your calendar during lunch (or from 7-8am or 5-6pm) and spend that time to get in a walk, some mediation, or even some resistance training. If you are diligent about that and can get 30 minutes in a day, you will vastly increase your odds of maintaining, or even regaining, your health. According to Livestrong.com if you are exercising, you will perform better!

Be Brave… You are built for more. Schedule 30 minutes a day to invest in your health.

All the best,
All the time,

JT