Sep 05 2024 6 mins 8
I teach a lot of time hacks to help people be more productive and one of the more unusual time hacks is the link between exercise and productivity.
When you are busy and overwhelmed, the last thing most people want to try to jam into their already overloaded day is time for exercise. However, exercise and productivity have a powerful synergy that should not be ignored.
Now, I am an overweight old guy who spends most of my day in front of a computer. So what would I know about exercise and fitness? But as “Captain Time” I know a LOT about productivity and increasing my physical activity has had a HUGE impact on my personal productivity.
My Personal Exercise and Productivity Experience
Like most people, after I got out of school and stopped having regular physical education classes and playing on school sports teams, I stopped putting time into fitness. Add to that that most of my jobs since then have been working at a desk and computer, and over the years my weight increased and my fitness level plummeted. After so many years of neglecting my fitness, what changed for me?
Honestly, I got tired of being tired all the time. I decided to make one simple change and see if that would help. I decided every day, I would take a 20-minute brisk walk at lunch before going back to my desk to work. I was ruthless with myself – rain, snow, or shine, I would push myself out to walk at lunch and just make sure I dressed accordingly. Being on Vancouver Island where it rained a lot, my Tilley hat got a great workout! [insert picture of me in my Tilley hat]
The first week, my new healthy walking habit had great benefits!
- Improved Well-Being: After my walk, I immediately felt better. The break from my office and getting outdoors really refreshed me. It was like rebooting my mental computer.
- Energy levels: I found that walking every day, greatly improved my energy levels.
- Focus: With my renewed energy, I was better able to focus and work longer in the afternoon, instead of my usual dragging near the end of the day.
- Mental Back Burner: With the change of perspective during my walk and the exercise, I found my mental back burner would kick in, solving many problems for me and generating many creative new ideas. I was able to easily add these new ideas and tasks to my productivity systems using the mobile apps on my smartphone.
I called it my “Productivity Walk” and shot a vlog post about the walk one day while I was out.
Prove The Link Between Exercise and Productivity
Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of exercise on productivity. Here are some key findings:
1. Resource Caravans and Job Self-Efficacy: A 2023 study published in the Personnel Psychology journal found that daily physical activity provided “resource caravans” such as improved sleep quality, increased vigor, and enhanced task focus, which collectively supported better concentration, attention, and information processing. Additionally, exercise improved job self-efficacy, leading to higher motivation and better job performance[.
2. Corporate Wellness Programs: A 2017 study by the University of California highlighted the impact of corporate wellness programs on productivity. The study followed 111 workers in five laundry plants who participated in a wellness program that included exercise. The results showed a 10% increase in productivity among participants who improved their health through better diet and more exercise.
3. Connecting With Nature: A 2021 report from the Mental Health Foundation in the UK found that being out in nature has a major impact on mental health with 45% of survey respondents saying being out in nature helped them cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.
3. Exercise is More than Medicine: The working age population’s well-being and productivity: In Denmark, 15 randomized controlled trials involving over 3,500 workers demonstrated that workplace exercise programs improved health outcomes and productivity. These programs, which included about an hour of weekly supervised exercise, resulted in significant improvements in muscle strength, balance control, and cardio-respiratory fitness, leading to increased productivity.
4. Exercise Fights Low Energy and Fatigue: This trial found that regular exercise helped sedentary people had a beneficial impact on their energy and fatigue levels.
Adaptability Is Key
When I moved back to Edmonton the winter cold made it more difficult to do my daily walks, but I persevered. I joined the local Tri-Leisure Fitness Centre in the winter and use their indoor walking track and weights.
At one point, I ran into a problem with my productivity lunch walks. I got a puppy. While my puppy was ecstatic to join me on my lunch walks, have you ever tried walking around a friendly neighborhood with a cute, puppy who greets everyone like a long lost friend. [picture of Kya]
My 20-minute brisk productivity walks turned into leisurely 40-minute chats with my neighbors. Fun, but not getting me back into my office for my afternoon work. So I shifted my walks to be in the late afternoon or after supper so that I could take the time to socialize with the neighbors.
For the bitterly cold days, I either go to the local Tri-Leisure fitness Centre and use the walking track, weights, or pool or I stay home and exercise in my basement using exercise videos and home weights or our rebounder. I alternate between more active videos such as The Body Project, Rebounder Videos, and my Qi-Gong playlist. The key thing is not to let weather, tiredness or procrastination stop you from exercising.
I do this by “stacking habits.” For example, I set it up so the first thing I do after supper and putting the leftover food away is 20 minutes of exercise. By keeping this exercise time “sacred” I am maximizing the beneficial impact of exercise and productivity.
So I highly recommend you “Get Moving to Get Results.” Your body and mental health will than you for it!
The post Get Moving, Get Results: The Surprising Link Between Exercise and Productivity appeared first on Time Management Training.
