The Importance of Exercise and Diet
The easiest thing in the world to do is to become totally engulfed in your work. When this happens, what usually gets left behind is the family, friends or even your own health. Now for years i was hopeless at looking after all three of these and it has taken me a while to realise this. I’ll chat in a later post about how i have struggled to manage the work – life balance. In this post i will chat about exercise.
Now i am sure that many of you out there are exercise nuts or even just naturally healthy however i am not – well i was not – until about a year ago. For a long time i would go for the occasional jog and convince myself that i was exercising however the reality was that i was doing nothing about my health. The way this manifested itself was that i used to catch a lot of colds, cough way too much and people would comment that i was always sick. This exacerbates itself when you are operating under stress, lack of sleep, and with hectic travel schedules, jet lag.
I therefore decided to do something about it. The first thing i did was take up running again. I have set myself the goal of 1,000 km this calendar year and i make sure that i get out and run 5 days a week. I love the fact that i can go for a run around a new city and see the sites. The best run i ever did was around Manhattan – it ended up being around 16 km but i got to see all the sites. I love to run at 6 am in the morning when you can see a city wake up. That is when things are at their prettiest. I also take my ipod and listen to various pod casts from around the world – therefore keeping up to date with what is happening.
The second thing i did was to change my diet. Now this is the hardest thing to do when you travel a lot and takes discipline. I have dropped all soft drinks and caffeine based drinks from my diet as well as increased my intake of salads and fish. Now i still have the occasional beer but water and tea are now my preferred drinks.
The result of all of this is that i am healthier, i dont get sickas much during the year and i have lost weight – 8kg! The other benefit is that i tend to sleep a little better and my thinking has become clearer.
Now i think that if you want to become a truly effective leader you need to watch your diet closely and work out when you take some time off for yourself so that you can exercise. Doing this will make you far better at your job. Remember work will come and go but you are stuck with your body for life!
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Some great points – often over looked.
It’s nice to see that all the comments and, (dare I say) nagging have paid off! No more Diet Coke breaks for you Simon. Keep it up. I saw a noticeable change in you as a result of making a concerted effort and I know others have too.
Exercise and diet are life long pursits. Life and balance are reason enough – and i would like to believe your thoughts apply equally to followers.
Salut!
My co-workers and I were just talking about the importance of exercise and diet. We actually just recently started an exercise/diet group, and we all go running together after work. I love my job at a staffing company in Boston, Hollister Staffing (www.hollisterstaff.com) but before we started our group I was feeling very lazy and having a hard time getting through the day. Since I started exercising and watching my diet I feel so much better better and it shows in my work!
I’m really glad you took charge of your health and fitness Simon before something or someone else did. Too often we fail to really look after themselves really well until we get bad news from our doctor or specialist. There’s nothing better than the thinking and creativity that comes from a really clear head – and a body that’s fuelled up and ready for action. Somehow you can stand out from the crowd and really act independently when you’re truly fit and well. Like you I love to run and do most days from 5am till 7am – maybe one day I could do a marathon! In my corporate past before going into business, I used to feel guilty for wanting to take physical care of myself, as if somehow it showed a lack of commitment. But after running my own business I realised that I coped better if I was fit, and if things got really bad I’d throw on the runners and run along the beach. We’re not just stuck with our bodies, they’re the most fantastic asset we have to help us move towards our goals and what we really want in life. One’s health and wellbeing should never be traded for short-term success.
Hey, I *thought* you were looking healthier – good for you!
I LOVE this post and the fact that you are eating less meat, more fish, and running. Good one and Keep It Up. Don’t turn into yet another Aussie Norm Fat Cat Business Man.
Hey Simon. Sounds like you are making good choices. BTW, lemon grass and ginger is a great option from Tea 2 – even if you are not that keen on ginger… a great combo. My hot water system broke recently and I have deliberately delayed replacing it, partly because it has enforced a daily visit to the gym (for the past 10 days). I still go for walks in real grass etc, but I love starting each day with a 40 minute workout, followed by a warm shower. Now my dilemma is whether or not I should replace the hot water system at all!
Something to think about there I think. Since I came back to pf I have completly thrown my diet and exercise out the window. I walk to work and home again which take about half hour. In total. I used to walk nearly 2 hours everyday but I have just become very lazy and I feel it too. Must get my finger out I think..
health is so often neglected in the name of prosperity and I appreciate your comments on the subject. after all, what good is a car that can get you A- B fast but only when it is reliable. Sound like an Alpha Romeo to me. Passionate but unreliable with performance only when it is operating at its best. thanks for the tone in which you write your blog. My first visit after seeing you speak on Sunday.
Great post! Just wanted to let you know you have a new subscriber- me!
Hi, good post. I have been thinking about this issue,so thanks for writing. I will definitely be subscribing to your blog.
To make changes in your life for the short term only provide a short term results – it is the long term commitment to things that produce lasting results….
So 12 months later – how is the healthier body progressing or have you returned to old habits?
An interesting read would be about the sacrifices you made when you were unable to manage a work-life balance and how you are addressing this issue in your current career