We all know that fitness is critical to keeping our bodies healthy but what about our business? Movement has a direct link to productivity in both our personal and professional lives!

A regular movement routine has  FOUR amazing benefits when it comes to business, making it a critical component to finding your competitive edge in the marketplace.

#1 INCREASE POSITIVE ENERGY LEVELS

The more you move, the more you want to move. Sustainable energy levels are critical to the success of your business. A mid-afternoon slump is a very common occurrence in the workplace and so often the easiest solution is to grab another coffee, energy drink, or high sugar/high carb snack to help push through to the end of the day. These habits are only making the problem worse as they will spike your energy very briefly only leading you to another energy crash just a short time later, not to mention extra calories with zero nutritional value.

Movement, on the other hand, will give you an energy boost that will provide sustained energy throughout the day. Whether you move morning, noon, or night, you will experience benefits from regular, consistent movement routines. The hormones released in our body during exercise will not only increase your energy, but it will improve your mood as well, leaving you full of positive, productive energy.

While high levels of energy are important, it is critical to your success that it is positive energy. We have all met those people that have a ton of negative energy. We all know at least one of these people, they find a problem for every solution and are like a dark, storm cloud when they walk into the room. This negative type energy keeps them going, but they are always in a state of stress, causing negative hormonal reactions within their body leading to disease and weight gain, not to mention sucking the life out of everyone they are around. You want to avoid this type of energy to keep your mind and body at peak performance.

Movement, however, leads to positive energy and hormonal responses that trigger growth signals in your body, leading to reduced risk of disease, weight loss, and better mood. Did you know exercise has been shown to be just as effective at eliminating depression as anti-depressant medications? (https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-is-an-all-natural-treatment-to-fight-depression)

Movement is critical for your stamina to push through each day with power and drive necessary to achieve maximum productivity. As your level of positive energy rises, so will your success rate, as people want to do business with positive, energetic people! Prospects will be drawn to you with your new positive energy and self-confidence.

Don’t forget your personal relationships. Not only will you have more energy left at the end of the day for the people you love and care most about, but you will show up full of positive loving energy and the ability to focus on them, rather than stressing out.

#2 THINK MORE CLEARLY & BOOST PRODUCTIVITY

Your mind works better when you are active! Daily movement increases mental clarity & focus and boosts productivity by increasing blood flow to your brain! Whether you are problem-solving or creating content, a clear, creative mind will give you a competitive edge.

We often feel that when we are working we have to sit at our desk in front of our computer until we get it all done. This couldn’t be farther from the truth, especially if you have reached a mental block and you are having trouble coming up with a solution to a challenge or creating content or new ideas. The most productive use of your time is to step away and start moving. I find it most useful not to actually search for the answer in my mind while moving, but completely clear my mind and just focus on the movement and let the thoughts come naturally.

The more you can relax and disconnect, the easier the thoughts will come. I literally compose full chapters of books and entire presentations while jogging or walking in nature. Once the thoughts start flowing, then it is time to sit back down and put them down on paper. You can even carry a voice recorder with you while your move if you want to record your ideas as they come to you so you don’t forget.

#3 BECOME MORE DEDICATED & FINISH STRONGER

Most people are great at starting something and horrible at finishing it. We have so many things going on in our lives, we get easily distracted from the task at hand or lose motivation part way through a project. Many times we think we are productive because we are busy, but if you really look at what you accomplished, you realize it wasn’t very much. I know that many times when I am working on the computer there are alarms and beeps coming from the computer and my phone constantly, attempting to distract me and pull my attention elsewhere and so I find that I have to silence them and complete each project on my list.  This habit is holding you back in your business.

When you commit to a daily movement routine you will quickly learn to focus more effectively and to have the discipline you need to get tasks done, even when you don’t feel like it. You will have greater physical and mental stamina helping you to push through to the end of each project no matter how tough it gets boosting productivity.

Consider signing up for a race or setting a goal for yourself to up your commitment. When you train for a race, it takes physical and mental commitment to reach your goal and have peak performance on race day. There are no short cuts! During my training for a half marathon each fall, there are days that I don’t feel like running or the weather is not cooperating, but it must be done anyway if I am going to reach my goal.

There are also times while I am running and have my phone with me for music that the phone rings or I get a text message. If I stop running every time there is a distraction, it would negatively impact my stamina because I would have to stop and walk. By committing to not only completing the race but doing my absolute best, I have to commit to the training that comes with it. This discipline trains my brain to act even when I don’t feel like it and to consciously avoid distractions that detract from my productivity.  These positive habits will transfer into your business taking your performance to the next level.

#4 IMPROVE YOUR CONFIDENCE

We must get comfortable being uncomfortable and a physical challenge will certainly prepare you to approach even the most uncomfortable situations increasing your productivity. A challenging movement routine should take you out of your comfort zone every day preparing the way for greater physical and mental strength to push through even in the toughest times. This new found confidence will leave you ready to take on new opportunities and challenges in your business that you were once afraid to tackle. You can only find greater success when you do what is uncomfortable because this is where you grow.

Any movement routine you pursue will lead to positive body changes. We all have more confidence when we are comfortable in the skin we are in. It is not about looking like a super model or body builder unless you want to, but it is about feeling stronger, healthier and more positive, leaving you confident every day when you jump out of bed and your feet hit the floor ready to make an impact in the world each day!

Remember, your wealth is your health. In order to be at peak productivity, you must feel good. Nothing changes until you do!