Choose healthy and you choose success

If you’re like most Americans you woke up around 6:00 a.m. this morning. Nike CEO Mark Parker has already been working out for one hour. He has one hour left. He works out for two hours four days a week. On the other three days he works out for “only” one hour, and those workouts are simply moving in some fashion for an hour.

Success requires overcoming obstacles and a good amount of mental strength. The same is true for health. The ability to push through tough workouts will give you the mental strength to push through a hard day, I promise you. Develop a fighting spirit and you will become unstoppable. You will go into meetings and presentations with an unparalleled confidence, having done your AM workout an hour before. You’ll have this upbeat demeanor. You’ll feel great and everyone chases looking great, which will be an afterthought once you get rolling and start reaping the benefits. Being healthy changes things, such as how successful and happy you are.

Exercise doesn’t guarantee success, but I guarantee it will make it a lot easier. The more I read about personal development, the more aware I become of the correlation between leaders and health.

The science is there. When you workout at least 3 days a week and at least 30 minutes each time, the effects on the body are spectacular. You start feeling better. You don’t have that 2pm crash. You wake up feeling refreshed.

Let’s go further.

You have energy for your kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews. You don’t come home and immediately sit down on the couch and waste away a few hours. No need for naps. No afternoon pick-me-up. Goodbye health insurance. You become a machine. You become new. You gain momentum, which drives success.

Oprah, Richard Branson, & other very busy people start there day with exercise, and the remainder of their day seems to flow better. I feel like if top business people, who are much busier than anyone I know, can exercise and run successful businesses, the proof is in the pudding. Becoming healthier is a stepping stone to improvement in all areas of life.

What stops most people?

Netflix.

The Bachelor

The Rachel Ray show.

DVR’D shows

Does TV actually add something to your life .. Or were you just bored and needed something to entertain you. And if you were bored — ask yourself why?! Try to seek interests outside of mind numbing reality tv. It’s proven that highly successful people watch less tv then the “average” person, (they also move more) And when they do watch it, it’s usually something that adds some sort of value (documentary, educational, training videos). So if you want to free up a lot of time, save some money, and be more productive then I suggest reevaluating your relationship with your flat screen.

I’m not saying never watch TV, but it’s very easy for people to lose a weekend to countless TV shows, and that’s poor judgement.

Why not base your actions off what has the best return on that investment. 20–30 minutes of yoga will serve you much better than sitting in a chair or the couch watching TV for that same duration, while your pelvis is rotated and contributing to back pain.

A lot of my clients in their 30’s and 40’s say their motivation is to not end up like their parents. Pretty much immobile, needing help for daily activities i.e going to the bathroom, taking a shower, eating. Not to mention how people who go into a nursing home get treated.

If you don’t want to get out of the house, and are disciplined enough to do so, there are a ton of activities that can be done at home. Your own body-weight will take you far. Walk around your home.

Just do something.

I recommend starting early, although this is by no means the only way, I think starting your day with exercise has the most positive effect on your body. Some people aren’t morning people and I get that, i say try it for a week or two and see if you like the results, otherwise, later in the day will work. By doing it early, you give yourself the opportunity to get more of your “other work” done. Basically, you’ll have more energy. If your day typically starts at 8, I would wake up 2 hours earlier. Your productivity will increase almost immediately.

Far too many people experience aches and pains from pure laziness, which means it can easily be prevented. Don’t put your body on cruise control and miss out on wonderful experiences. I have yet to find a person who regretted making a healthy switch, and on the flip side, I’ve met too many who didn’t make healthy choices and now rely on help to simply live their life.

The choice is yours.

Choose wisely.