Improve Your Bottom Line and Waistline
During my 20’s and 30’s, I was running … running my business and my health into the ground. There wasn’t time for physical activity. Like many entrepreneurs, I was busy building my business. Unfortunately, while keeping my business on track, my health was veering off track.
At the age of 40, jarred by a health crisis and a physician who said I’d “never climb a mountain or run a marathon”, I vowed to climb a mountain and run a marathon…and return to my natural healthy state.
My first-hand experience taught me what studies are now confirming … that physical fitness has a significant impact on business fitness.
A study with 366 entrepreneurs demonstrated the relationship between sales and the amount of rigorous exercise performed by the entrepreneur. The study measured sales against running and biking with sales against weight lifting. The study demonstrated that while running, biking, and weight lifting influenced the entrepreneur’s ability to meet personal goals (personal satisfaction, independence, and autonomy) only those entrepreneurs who incorporated running and biking into their program were able to demonstrate a significant improvement in sales over those who did not.
Entrepreneurs have a wider range of responsibilities and pressures than the average businessperson. Lacking the depth of resources, entrepreneurs are juggling multiple roles and responsibilities of being salesperson, marketing director, spokesperson, negotiator, bookkeeper, administrator asst. and technician delivery the service. In addition, they have to bear the costs of any mistakes made.
It’s challenging to justify exercise when one could be selling, marketing, or growing their business even though numerous studies show exercise reduces stress, stimulates creativity, and improves self-esteem. Unhealthy habits and subsequent risk factors are dangerous to entrepreneurs and their business. Lack of sleep and exercise, unhealthy foods, and high stress don’t keep entrepreneurs performing at their best.
Now we know … working out improves not only your waistline, but your bottom line as well. Apparently you do have to move it to make it.