The Links Between Exercise and Productivity
Exercise serves a number of positive purposes which can increase our productivity both in the work and personal arenas of our lives. It’s no coincidence that forward thinking companies encourage exercise and endorse it in their firms partnering with gyms or sponsoring events.
The benefits of exercise are far reaching to say the least, and cover a variety of mental, physical and wellbeing aspects. We investigate how we can improve productivity as an indirect benefit of performing physical activity.
More energy
It may seem like an ironic turnaround, but it’s true! Through exercise physically our bodies become healthier, operate more efficiently and become more economical. This can provide us with more energy, especially when combined with a nutritious diet. Giving your body what it needs to thrive, supplying it with everything it needs to carry out your day to day life optimally is something that can transfer across to your productivity levels in your work and personal life.
Revitalised
There’s a cliché that claims you get out what you put into something. Whether this is mental energy into a specific task, work energy, energy into a relationship or physical energy into an exercise or training programme, looking after your body physically and mentally helps provide a cleansing effect, revitalizing an individual. If your body and mind are healthy and full of vitality, chances are this harmonious collaboration will in turn inspire productivity.
Natural endorphins
In its simplest terms if you’re happy you won’t mind working so much! You may put more effort in and work more productively. Exercise produces natural happy hormones called endorphins, finally some solid physiological proof that working out makes you feel good as well as toning your muscles and increasing your fitness physically!
With stress around the world now suffered at such staggering levels, something that makes you feel good and less stressed is a wonderful way of increasing productivity.
Stress Reliever
Following on from the point made above about stress, its true exercise works to relieve this. Life can cause extreme amounts of tension and exercise is fantastic for getting this out. If you’ve had a horrendous day for example, despite the fact that you may be exhausted, as well as invigorating you, exercise can help your body get rid of some of that tension, easing tired muscles and taking the mind away from the day.
A sedentary lifestyle is not a natural state for the body, when in the same position for a long period of time muscles tend to seize. With the influx of television entertainment and video games though it’s far easier to stay in than it is to drag on a pair of trainers and hit the roads, doing so though gives muscles some much needed activity though providing a physical release in addition to a mental one.
Physiological effects
Finally, stress; preservatives in food and pollutants in the air in addition to many other sources have harmful physiological effects on the body. These include the production of free radicals which circulate around the body; exercise helps to combat these, allowing us to live in a healthier body for longer.
All the above points go some way in explaining why exercise is beneficial to us in so many ways all of which have the indirect effect of potentially increasing productivity. Something worth investing in? We think so!
Whether you choose to increase your activities through intense sports or something more relaxing like yoga or meditation the benefits are limitless. Poulstone Court is a wonderful retreat venue you can visit with specialist facilities focused on enhancing physical and spiritual wellbeing.
