We all have to work. It’s hard to find the time to exercise when you’re always working out for long days. Especially in all the “bad economy” we live in, working hard is more important than ever. Unfortunately, most of us don’t realize the investment of being healthy and how much it can influence your overall success.
Many of my clients always give me the excuse that they are too tired or that their minds are not exercising after being at work all day. And that is understandable. Although this is when I start to see a problem when they constantly sacrifice their workouts to put in a couple of extra hours of work. Another problem arises when they claim that exercising will only make them more tired.
The benefits of exercise, nutrition, and having a positive mindset are a powerful force when it comes to achieving greatness. Without strong energy, you are doing yourself a disservice by not doing your best to achieve your goals. Lethargy is becoming a bigger and bigger problem these days as technology grows, but there is no substitute for sweating a lot.
Without a doubt, exercise will help you sleep better and release all the hormones that accumulate in the body. These hormones can build up very easily, especially when we work sedentary jobs and do sedentary activities all day.
The gym is also a great place to get away from work and all the crap in your life. We all need to have that release and exercise is one of the few things that can achieve it in a healthy way.
Stress levels can also make you fat due to the release of the hormone cortisol. Having proper nutrition along with a great exercise program 3-4 times a week can do wonders for your weight and health.
1. Go to sleep at 10:30: If you go to sleep early, tomorrow you will have more energy. This means there is no late night television! Instead, use your TV recorder to record the show for later viewing. I would not go near bright lights (television, computer, video games) within half an hour of going to bed. Our bodies have natural circadian rhythms from our caveman days that we have pre-installed in all of us. We always go to bed when the sun goes down and wake up when the sun rises. So even if you slept a full 8 hours last night but didn’t go to bed until 1 a.m., this is not the same because your natural circadian rhythms will disagree.
2. Eat breakfast every morning: Breakfast is easily the most missed meal of the day. It’s easy to trade a little sleepy for a bowl of oatmeal. Eating a healthy breakfast will provide you with the energy you need to fuel your workouts and your workday. I recommend eating a bowl of old school Quaker oatmeal, with some protein powder and a banana. Also keep plenty of nutritious snacks in your office drawer or anywhere you work to keep your blood sugar in good homeostasis.
3. Start your day with a positive attitude: Having a strong attitude will give you the mental strength to have a more positive day and give you a little encouragement to do your workout! The third thing I do every morning (after making my bed and drinking water) is deep breathing exercises along with 5 minutes of meditation.
4. Organization Drives Your Productivity: Another great reason we put exercise on the back burner is because we’ve allowed our lives to spiral into chaos! Getting organized and having a battle plan will give you the responsibility of doing your training. Before you go to sleep, write down the top 3 things you need to accomplish by tomorrow and get it done before anything else. And do what you don’t want to do first. When you eat a frog first thing in the morning, the rest of the day will seem great.
5. Fitness is part of your job: Exercise will help you be successful at your job. It will lower the volume in any significant situation or conflict. Exercising can stimulate creativity and help you find solutions that you wouldn’t think of when you’re sitting at a computer. Keep a fitness article close to you at all times so you are more likely to do so instead of heading to the computer to check your email for the 57th time today.