This is often a taboo subject for an entrepreneur. We all know that we need to eat well and get in some exercise. But as entrepreneurs, we often claim to be too busy for either. Early morning and late afternoon meetings stop us from being able to go to the gym or go on a run, as do reports due, staff and client meetings as well as networking sessions. It’s also much easier and simpler to order pizza or burgers again to fill the gap when stuck late at the office than it is to prepare a meal for yourself before work.
What entrepreneurs often look past however, is that your body is the vehicle for your brain. Your brain is the engine of your business; if your body is rusty, falling apart and leaking oil, it's only a matter of time before your brain and business arrive on the same path of deterioration. At the same time, your engine (your brain) needs fuel to function. But would you pour processed, carcinogenic junk into your fuel tank? Definitely not, so why do it to yourself?
Humans are made to move. We are not static beings; so why is 90% of our day spent either lying down or sitting at a desk, hunched over on a laptop or a phone? What ends up happening is our body atrophies, and if we're not careful; so too will our brains and our business.
In the same vein as sleep and meditation; exercise reduces stress and anxiety and allows for your body to perform at its peak. This allows you to be far more effective and efficient. Exercise also keeps you happy and in a positive mindset as it releases endorphins. The same can be said about good, healthy food, which has similar effects.
This is a problem that you can take control of now and stop it in its tracks. Why put yourself in a position where you have to pay for the negative effects later in life when you could take care of it, far more cheaply, in the present. There is no sense in working our lives away; whilst becoming overstressed and burning out, to have enough money one day to be able to pay to attempt to get your health back. Entrepreneurs often live by the mantra, "success now; health later" but this should not be the goal.
Now no one is saying you need to be as active as Serena Williams, but a little movement on a regular and consistent basis, releasing endorphins which make you happy and more positive, can only be a good thing. Sacrificing a few minutes per day to run, swim, cycle, lift some weights or even just a walk around the block will lead to a couple of hours per week which will completely overhaul your working life. To start, just be more conscious of your movement. Try to get some movement in everyday; get your heart rate up just once a day, eat healthier and get sufficient sleep.
All of the world's top entrepreneurs (in all fields) find time for exercise. Sir Richard Branson once said that regular exercise gives him four extra hours of productivity a day.
If you want to be more productive and are ready to get serious about your health and the health of your business, then Tim Ferriss's, The 4-Hour Body would be a good read.
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