In times of stress and ‘busyness’ the first thing we put to the side is our own fitness, which ultimately affects our health. Is this something you would have said to yourself at some time or other… “I’m too busy”, or “I’m so stressed out, there’s too much to do”, therefore you skip the training session you planned on doing?
However, just 30 minutes per day – 2% of the total time in your day – will actually HELP make the symptoms of stress and pressure more bearable. Possibly release them altogether! If you can leave your desk for 30 minutes to exercise, release some pent-up energy, and head back to work with a clearer train of thought, feeling more refreshed and energised than when you started, why would you consider NOT exercising! So why is it the first thing we don’t do?
Committing to keep yourself healthy and active is more crucial than anything else in hard times. Numerous studies have found that exercise is a natural anti-depressant and stress reliever, due to the “happy endorphins” – the chemicals – released during exercise. If you are in a slump, or starting to fatigue, you will instantly have more energy, and enthusiasm to do the tasks at hand. If you are an employer – you need to lead your team from the top! Set the example, and encourage your team to keep fit as well. Go one better and train together!
If you are an employee, you owe it to all your colleagues to be upbeat, motivated and energetic every day!
Put a plan in place to make sure it happens!! If you are self-motivated and know you can do it yourself, lock it in your diary. If you need get out of bed 30 minutes earlier, DO IT! We all like extra sleep in winter with the cooler weather – but how bad of an excuse is that! If you have time after work, meet up with a friend.
If you know you need to have an appointment with someone to actually do it, and to make sure you are doing it correctly – that’s where we will hold you accountable.
I challenge EVERYONE reading this article – regardless of how busy or stressed you may think you are – to commit to yourself for a whole working week to exercise EVERY day for a minimum of 30 minutes, and see how much better you feel.
Let’s stop complaining that we haven’t got time to exercise and MAKE the time! The benefits and additional productivity – both personal and professional – are too huge to ignore!
As the Dalai Lama once said – “Man sacrifices his health in order to make money, then he sacrifices his money in order to recuperate his health.”
Don’t be a statistic.
Selina Wright – Red E Personal Training – 4953 3134 – As Published in Core Magazine 2014.
