Entrepreneurs! Why Exercise Helps Everything

When your life is (quite literally) all about your business, you know you’re a bona fide entrepreneur. You eat, sleep, and breathe your work, planning each day around creating the best product you can offer to your customers and carving out precious time for family and friends. But what about exercise? Taking time for yourself, however, is almost guaranteed to make your life as a business owner easier and healthier, even though it sounds totally impossible. If you’ve forgotten how to care for yourself in your pursuit of being a Fortune 500, take my helpful tips for using physical fitness and healthy eating to motivate your life as an entrepreneur and soak up the momentum it creates.

Schedule Time For Exercise

It’s extremely easy to make excuses for not hitting the gym when your schedule doesn’t allow for it. I get it, your priority will always be your business; however, your most valuable resource is yourself, since you run the whole shindig. Take at least 30 minutes a day to get active, and schedule it in to eliminate procrastination. Not sure where to put this time slot? Try just before or after lunch. You’ll burn off some calories and prepare yourself for an afternoon of pure focus by getting your blood flowing. If you’re lacking fortitude or inspiration to get moving, try an exercise app like FIT Radio, which will connect you to some of the most rocking workout playlists available, or MyFitnessPal, an app that gives you a way to track and monitor what you eat and how you burn the calories. Take a look below for some other helpful tips:

• Wake up an hour earlier at least once a week to indulge in exercise. Since your brain works better for a period of time after physical fitness, working out in the morning is a great way to give yourself a mental boost. I’ve often found even if I wake up and thinking of every excuse in the book not to go, once I finally get moving I have energy to spare for the rest of my day.
• Work out with a pal or colleague. Even your lunchtime walk will seem less arduous if you bring a supportive friend or coworker to talk to, and you could end up with some great business ideas when you get back to work. “Researchers at New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) found that the foot’s impact during walking sends pressure waves through the arteries that significantly modify and can increase the supply of blood to the brain.”
• Stretch often. Stretching not only releases tension, but allows your body to process the oxygen in your bloodstream more effectively. Getting more oxygen to your brain means an increase in your cognitive skills, and the movement will keep you limber all day and prevent stiffness from setting in.

Get in on the Meal-Prepping Trend

A lot of professionals, both entrepreneurs and executives alike, are taking to meal-prepping in an effort to kick unhealthy, snap-decisions to the curb. Because you’re more likely to indulge in unhealthy foods when they’re easy and quick, provide yourself with some pre-made lunches that you can heat up in the microwave or eat on the go. Make every Sunday evening, for example, into a cooking extravaganza and prepare for each day that you plan to work (which, let’s face it, as an entrepreneur, it’s every day). Your pocketbook and waistline will both congratulate you, and your cognitive skills will improve after a healthy, substantial meal. Getting into the swing of meal-prepping takes some work, so get savvy by using the app Mealboard, which allows you to plan recipes for the week and will automatically make you a shopping list for everything you need. The trick? Schedule it! Here are some beginner’s meal planning tips to get you started:

• Invest in great storage containers. You’ll need microwave-safe containers to keep your meals fresh. Buying a nice set will allow you to concoct some truly delicious, home-cooked meals without compromising your grab-and-go abilities. Opt for Pyrex or glass options when microwaving.
• Change it up without going all out. It’s easy to cook a large amount of one dish at a time for your meal prepping, but don’t short-change yourself. Preparing basic foods, like plain chicken breasts or a large amount of rice, can allow you to change up the menu from day to day with simple additions, keeping things interesting.
• Stock up on bulk snacks. Buying individual bags of snacks is not only wasteful, but impractical as well. If you’re a fan of eating a handful of nuts for a snack, for example, do yourself (and your budget) a favor by purchasing them in bulk. You can also customize your snacks by adding in fruit, chocolate or other tasty items. You’ll stay healthier and your wallet will thank you.

Trust me, I know how hard it is to make time for yourself and to make your health a priority. Schedule time for yourself to exercise, prepare food and do whatever else energizes you (for me, massages and spending time with my family). Doing these things shows your family, coworkers and employees, and friends that you value your health and wellbeing – leading by example. Doing so also sets you up to be a mental and physical force as one kick butt entrepreneur.

I’d love to hear from you what you’re doing as a kick butt entrepreneur.