Five reasons why health & fitness make a huge difference in your professional performance. Simply put: hitting the weights (or the field or track) absolutely impacts your professional life. A healthy body filled with vitality and strength is good for you - in every aspect of your life.

Not convinced? Read these five points:

1. Energy and Productivity: Maintaining a regular exercise routine will give you more energy throughout the day - regardless of what you do. Leading a growing company is tough enough. Running a small business (or household!) can be even tougher. Make sure you have the energy to do so effectively & sustain you throughout the day. As a leader (even if that leader is a parent, employee or C-Suite executive) when you have more energy, you are more likely to face the challenges of the day aggressively and confidently.

2. Confidence and Creativity: A fit person will have more confidence and solve problems more creatively. Studies show that our cognitive ability to be creative increases with even moderate levels of exercise. This is a win for everyone - regardless of your career or passion. Whenever I have a business engagement or important presentation, I make sure to exercise first thing in the morning that day to get myself in a success-minded state.

3. Facing Challenges: By weight training or setting fitness goals, you are constantly pushed beyond your comfort threshold, so much so that your "comfort zone" takes on a whole new definition. I follow the same approach to my business. Always pushing myself beyond my existing comfort zone. Doing so increases your ability to endure discomfort (be it physical or mental). As an professional, you have to be able to face tough challenges every day while maintaining your cool and applying mental focus on your priorities. Fitness helps tremendously.

4. Mental Wellness: Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress thanks to the brain’s “feel-good” neurotransmitters: endorphins. By solely focusing on your body for a period of time, you focus less on the pressures of life and the challenges associated with modern living. It’s an “escape” you need. According to an article by the Mayo Clinic, exercise also reduces symptoms associated with anxiety and depression, while also improving sleeping patterns. Win-win-win.

5. Influence: If all this is true for a business leader or executive, it must be true for the whole team, right? It is widely believed that healthy employees are happier and more productive. A fit team is also less likely to take time off for illness, keeping business moving at a steady pace. If you leads a team, you are setting an example for others. If you’re vying for a promotion, having command of yourself - through disciplined hard work on your fitness & health - sends a clear message you can manage others.

Get fit. Stay fit. Be successful in every aspect of your life.

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