It is common knowledge that exercise improves our health. By exercising we manage our weight, maintain our heart’s health, lungs and various other bodily systems. However, did you know that exercising also does wonders when it comes to productivity? Let’s see why all the famous, successful CEOs get up early every day to go for a run. Let’s hear about five reasons why you should start exercising with the aim of improving yourself at the workplace.

Alertness and focus

It’s simple, being unfocused and tired at the workplace is awful. And exercise can eradicate that. If you exercise regularly, you’ll always be alert and focused. By exercising you increase blood flow to the brain and that sharpens your awareness. A study conducted by Jim McKenna from the University of Bristol showed that following a workout work performance becomes considerably better. To be more precise, employees who had a workout that day managed time better and became quicker i.e. sharper. No employer wants lethargic people working for their company.

Energy boost

Sometimes we all feel like staying in bed for the day and the last thing we would like to do is get up and work out. Yup, energy levels are low sometimes. And we need it for work, right? But, do you know how to get them up? The only way to get them up is to actually get moving! Exercise improves your body’s ability to transfer glucose and oxygen throughout your brain and body and thus increases your energy levels. You’ll feel less fatigued and more energized immediately. If you’re really having troubles finding that much needed motivation for exercising just get up and put on your favorite, coolest gym wear. Having the right clothes is not only a performance boost, but it also does wonders to the motivation.

Good mental health – good job performance

Without good mental health you cannot perform at your workplace. Honestly, there isn’t a thing in the world that you could achieve with bad mental health. However, regular exercise can help curb feelings of anxiety and depression. During the workout, our brains release serotonin which helps us feel better and improves our state of mind. That ultimately leads to easier stress management. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain that emits messages to the body so as to stimulate mood and emotion. And we all know how stressful a job can be. Surely you’d like to help relieve all that stress better.

Preventing illness

Simply put, we cannot work if we’re sick. Fortunately, regular exercise such as walking, jogging, weight lifting or playing various sports can help reduce our chances of developing certain illnesses and diseases. Improved immunity minimizes your chances of getting influenza and common cold which significantly reduces the possibility of the sick days increase. On top of that, regular exercise reduces your risk for type 2 diabetes development, obesity, hypertension and heart disease development. And there is no doubt that these can impact your work productivity in a negative fashion.

Creativity boost

We all deal with being stuck sometimes. Sometimes we have issues with a single problem at work for hours. Coming up with an idea sometimes seems like an impossible mission. And what can we do to help ourselves then? Well, we could go out for a walk. According to a study from the Journal of Experimental Psychology, walking indoors and outdoors triggers a burst in creative thinking with the average creative output rising 60 percent when a person was walking. Imagine what other types of physical activity could do. When you’re feeling down and simply unable to come up with any type of idea, get up and go buy yourself a cup of coffee. But don’t brew some coffee in your office or something like that. Leave the building (if possible) and make a short trip to a coffee shop. That’s an easy fix. A long term solution would be to put in a workout before or after work. That way you’ll always be buzzing with new ideas.
Working out is a true gift that you can get yourself. Putting in an hour or even half an hour a day can make all the difference in this world. Not only will you feel better at your work but you’ll get to develop yourself and your character.

Guest Blog Post written by Luke Douglas, Editor in Chief at blog Ripped.me