Entrepreneurs, executives and business owners: get over the guilt of avoiding the gym and take care of your health and wellbeing – no matter how busy

What happens when I say the words ‘gym membership’? If you find yourself groaning or feel your cheeks flushing red, you’re not alone. We join the gym, we promise to get in shape and we chastise ourselves when we miss a workout…or six. The trouble is, shaming ourselves into leading active, healthy lives only makes us feel worse.

No matter how busy your life, or how demanding your work, there is a way to be more active and take care of your health and wellbeing. No minimum-term contract needed!

The problem with reconciling exercise and a busy career

When you’ve been at the office for 12 or 14 hours, the thought of the gym is too much. So you promise you’ll go for a run before work. Yet when you’re awake at 3.30am worrying about the next day’s events, the extra-early alarm is soon forgotten.

It’s something that I’ve experienced myself; I want to be active! I enjoy working out. Yet squeezing one more task, one more ‘appointment’ with the treadmill into the day means that something has to give elsewhere. Do I choose time with my family? Or time on the bike? Do I trade precious hours at the weekend for time stuck inside a sweaty locker room? All too soon, health becomes something that conflicts with the need to enjoy downtime. And so the guilt grows.

Why exercise matters to entrepreneurs, business owners and executives

Exercise is good for us. It’s not exactly new information; we all know it. It’s important not just for our physical fitness but our all-round wellbeing. It impacts our day-to-day lives, how we feel about ourselves, and how we relate to our work and the people around us.

When we work out, increased blood flow delivers more oxygen to the brain; that means clearer thinking and better decisions making. Exercise has also been linked to improved concentration, reduced stress and better sleep. So even when the pace is relentless, the impact of activity goes a long way.

How to fit exercise into a hectic schedule

Rather than adding another task to your day, make activity part of your existing agenda. You’ll not only tick the exercise box, you’ll ditch the gym guilt too.

Feeling a little sceptical? No problem. Take a look at these five top tips to keep active and improve your health and wellbeing as a busy professional. Give them a try – you might just find something that works for you.

1. Walk, walk, walk:

When travelling between appointments walk instead of taking public transport or a taxi. In major cities where traffic is high and congestion a daily occurrence, the time difference between the car and the pavement isn’t always that great! 

Try it: Load up Google maps, make sure you allow enough time between appointments and hit the streets. You’ll clear your head between meetings and will arrive feeling recharged and focused.

2. Don’t lounge around at the airport:

The temptation to plug in and fire off those emails on the free Wi-Fi is compelling. Instead, make calls and walk as you do it. You’ll clock up kilometres before sitting in a confined space, plus connecting by phone ups the feelgood factor from hearing a voice rather than staring at a screen.

Try it: You have to get to the airport early for security; take advantage of vast terminal buildings and pace the floor while on the phone – active and productive at the same time!

3. Make family time an active occasion:

If you have a family, and you have the privilege of taking your kids to sports activities, don’t sit on the sidelines scrolling through emails or social media. Get involved! You can still keep family commitments, enjoy an activity and get healthy doing it. And you lead by example, showing your children the importance of exercise at any age. 

Try it: Swim in the next lane at a swimming class, jog while your children play football, or offer to step in if they’re a player short. 

4. Take the stairs:

Wherever possible, avoid the lift. The vertical climb is more demanding than a walk over flat terrain, so you’ll build cardiovascular fitness. Do it often enough and you’ll quickly create a healthy habit.

Try it: At the office, in your apartment building, in airports, at the train station – wherever you are, take the stairs. Plus, it’s a great way to grab a few private minutes with the colleague you need to speak to – away from listening ears in the lift. 

5. Walking meetings:

Get out of the boardroom and conduct meetings in the great outdoors. A different environment stimulates creativity and gives you a fresh perspective. And walking shoulder to shoulder is a more collaborative way to discuss issues, reducing any potential tension in difficult conversations.

Try it: There’s no need to head anywhere remote, even walking around a city park will get the blood flowing and stimulate new ideas.

For days when you have to be in the office or at your desk…

Try as you might, some days, it’s just not possible to get outside. Maybe you’re on the road, delivering work at a client’s premises, or perhaps it’s simply the good old British weather keeping you indoors. While movement plays a big part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, here are two bonus tips to bear in mind.

6. Mindfulness:

Wait! Don’t walk away just yet. Mindfulness isn’t about sitting cross-legged on the floor for hours. A few short minutes of paying attention to your breathing has a positive impact, leading to a calm mind, a keener sense of awareness, and increased concentration. And those nights when you’re awake at 2am? Paying close attention to your breath instead of racing thoughts helps to soothe the mind and eases you back to a state of rest. 

Try it: Before an important phone call or meeting, spend a few minutes breathing in and out normally while paying attention to where you feel the breath enter your body. You can do this anywhere, though if you feel uncomfortable at your desk, take yourself somewhere quiet.

7. Introduce small, regular movement:

Walking is a great way to stay healthy, though regular movement is just as important for our wellbeing. Research suggests that rather than doing one big burst of activity in the morning or evening, we should be regularly rising from our desks and moving joints and limbs. 

Try it: Take phone calls standing up; you’ll be moving and your delivery will be better from a standing position. For every hour spent sitting, spend 5 minutes walking – a great opportunity to use the bathroom or top up your water bottle. Stretch your limbs and move joints regularly; if you feel self-conscious, neck and shoulder rolls are not too intrusive and prevent the stiff shoulders common after a day at the desk.

Stop feeling guilty, start feeling motivated

If your gym membership is chronically unused or your bicycle is gathering dust, don’t feel guilty. By making small adjustments every day, you can increase the amount of activity you do and positively impact your health and wellbeing – no matter how hectic and demanding your work is.

As with all things, minor changes lead to new habits and a noticeable difference. If you’re trying to create positive habits in your working life and you’re struggling due to a lack of support or accountability, get in touch. I work with executives, founders and business owners to support them as they put in place changes – changes which don’t just impact the business, but have a positive impact on their own wellbeing and relationship with work.

If something in this article touched a nerve with you, I’d love to hear from you. Why not share in the comments?