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- You Need To Get Up And Start Moving
You Need To Get Up And Start Moving
A key part of being a success, is being healthy and alive to enjoy it.
"Exercise not only changes your body, it changes your mind, your attitude and your mood." - Unknown
"He who has health has hope and he who has hope has everything." - Arabian Proverb
“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” - John F. Kennedy
Many knowledge workers and entrepreneurs live a sedentary life.
Long hours sitting in front of a PC leads to weight and health issues.
Gym subscriptions pile up, unused.
I know because I used to be this way.
Over the course of a decade, as my startup grew steadily, I also grew unhealthy and overweight due to my lifestyle.
My wife and I went on a walk one day, but after only 500m my ankles hurt so much that I had to sit down and rest.
It was clear to me that I had to do something right away.
I experimented with various diets, joined gyms, and tried different crash exercise routines.
I often relapsed and returned to my old habits quickly.
It finally dawned on me that:
The secret is to make fitness a daily habit.
The aim should be to make it a lifelong lifestyle, not a quick-results scheme.
You don't have to aim for significant results in the first few months.
It's possible to win this race by being slow and steady.
For Example:
My starting weight from 5 years ago has been my maximum weight since I started building healthy lifestyle habits in 2019. I've lost 6kg, but my goal is to make it a permanent 10kg loss.
Throughout 2023, I have consistently achieved more than 10,000 steps per day on average.
Here's How I Do It:
1: Define Your Why
It could be because you want to be fit and live long with your wife and kids.
Or to see your business succeed and be healthy enough to really enjoy the benefits.
These are my reasons.
Whatever your own reasons are, they will keep you going on days you are tired or feeling lazy.
2: Understand Your Routine
I tend to have long Zoom meetings in the mornings and evenings.
Some people may have free periods around mid day.
On weekends you may visit friends, have family time or binge on Netflix.
Your routine can expose opportunities for fitness activities if you plan well and align them.
3: Figure Out Activities You Enjoy
I realized that walking is therapeutic for me.
For some, playing football or swimming is fun whenever you get around to doing it.
Perhaps running is it for you. If you think a bit, you will find at least one or two that you enjoy doing.
You don't have to hit the gym daily or do what you don't enjoy and can't keep up with.
4: Fit Them Into Your Daily Life
I turned my review meeting times into walking times. So rather than sit behind a desk, I hit the road with my earphones.
You can walk on a treadmill while enjoying Netflix shows.
I sometimes go to the gym and lift weights while catching up on YouTube highlights of sports.
Play football with friends on weekends. Take the kids to swim on Sunday.
Mix in the activities you enjoy with your routines, and it feels more like fun, not work.
5: Incentivize Yourself
Reward yourself with intrinsic or extrinsic things.
It could be a reward meal on Sunday evenings if you did your activities for the week.
I join the Samsung Health monthly 200k steps challenge (10k a day) and ensure to meet it so that I get a dopamine rush.
Closing Thoughts
Whatever you do,
It is just as important, as making money.
Whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:
1. Do you have any specific personal or career development challenges? Send me a message. I'd like to learn more about it and see how I can help.
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