Physical Fitness and the Successful Executive
Pay your people to work out, play basketball, practice yoga, or take a walk? You make think this is ridiculous, yet you employ workers in the high stress industries of enterprise risk management and financial crimes. Your job and your employees’ jobs place an exorbitant amount of stress upon you and them every moment of every day. Finding a way to effectively handle the stress and maintain, or increase, productivity should be the goal of every successful executive.
According to the Mayo Clinic, one hundred fifty minutes of moderate activity per week or seventy-five minutes of vigorous activity per week create four pretty amazing results that will definitely benefit any workplace. First up are better moods within the office. The American Psychological Association (APA) agrees with the Mayo Clinic’s findings and points out that the endorphins released by even a brisk walk create not just a temporary “lift in emotions” but also a long lasting, better outlook and ability to handle increased stress. Working out is also a great way to simply “blow off” the steam and frustrations of the day. When you work out, you often look better physically as a byproduct which then translates to better self-esteem and confidence in the work place.
Besides creating better moods, exercise increases people’s personal energy. The Mayo Clinic points out that more oxygen and nutrients go to the muscles as you exercise and allow your body to work more efficiently. Your muscles develop endurance, and you discover that you can do more with less energy. Rather than dragging by the end of the workday, you will still have energy to go home and interact with the ones you love.
Another result of exercise is better sleep. The Mayo Clinic also states that those who work out tend to fall asleep faster and sleep deeper. When working in high stress field like financial crimes and ID theft, having the benefits of a full night’s sleep can be critical. The good sleep created by working out may also be a contributing factor to why people have a better mood at work. Everyone knows that when you don’t sleep well; your mood takes a nose dive, and just as a good mood is contagious, so is a bad mood. When one person is in a bad mood, everyone around that person ends up in a bad mood.
Lastly, Fit for Work shares that exercising also decreases an individual’s chances of getting sick. Since your job as both an employee and an executive is to give your best to your company and get the best out of your employees, helping them stay healthy should become a priority. Something as simple as encouraging them to walk daily can mean less sick days and consistency in attendance to important appointments and meetings.
With all of these benefits from exercising, employers should be encouraging their employees to get out and move more. Management should set a good example for those below them by carving time out during the week to take care of their own bodies. What do you really have to lose: better moral, better stamina, better sleep, and better health?