“Physical fitness is not only one of the most
important keys to a healthy body; it is the basis of dynamic and creative
intellectual activity.”—John F. Kennedy
If I don’t take
good care of my body, how can I function at my peak?
That’s the
question I tend to ask myself whenever I am tempted to skip exercise and fill
my stomach with sweet-smelling junk foods. I encourage you to do the same.
Since we
have only one physical form, it is therefore important to put our body in the
best shape possible. An eastern proverb advises us to treat us our body like a
temple; that means placing our wellbeing in number one spot of utmost care and
attention.
To do that,
we need to work at it every day, by moving for momentum, eating for strength,
and sleeping for renewal.
However,
this article will focus on one of the three: moving for momentum or aerobic exercise.
There are
lots of researches to prove the value of exercise with regard to energy, focus,
memory and mood; all of which are essential elements productivity and wellness.
John Ratey,
M.D., a clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School explores in
details the connection between exercise and the brain.
He makes it undoubtedly
clear his book, ‘Spark - The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the
Brain,’ that we can lift our mood, sharpen our intellect, improve our memory,
manage our stress and even function better in our world just by increasing our
respiration.
In other
words, aerobic exercise can launch our brains into a mode of peak performance.
According to John, the impact of exercise on our energy level and our ability
to focus is not just immediate but even long after the practice.
The right amount
of workout helps the flow of oxygen and other essential nutrients throughout
our cardiovascular system. This results in an energy boost that can serve us
well in tackling a demanding project. No wonder, the Roman philosopher, Marcus
Cicero zealously wrote a long time ago that, “Exercise alone supports the
spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor.”
Now let’s
talk about putting this to work in our own lives.
Start with Five Minutes
Per Day
“The higher your energy level, the
more efficient your body, the more efficient your body, the better you feel,
and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results.”—Tony
Robbins
If you think
negatively about exercising everyday because it feels like a burden, you are
looking at it the wrong way. After finishing this article, I bet you will have
a quick rethink.
With this in
mind, I suggest you make it as easy possible get started.
For example:
Start with
five minutes (or less if necessary) a day. For 5 minutes, choose to do any form
of exercise that appeals most to you, like walking, running, jogging, swimming,
pushups, etc.
The key is
to start small and celebrate progress. This is how you can make exercising a
daily habit, and reap the full benefit of mental and physical liveliness discussed
in these pages.
Aerobic exercise
will boost your strength and enhance your endurance. It will supply you the
reserved energy you need to work harder, stay longer and the mental stimulus
for increased creativity you need for extra-ordinary output.
Stepping Up
In the book,
'Bigger, Leaner and Stronger,' Michael Matthews gives us a better approach with
the following words:
“For optimal
muscle growth, you must lift in such a way that causes optimal micro–tearing
and then you must feed your body what it needs to grow and give it the proper
amount of rest.”
Though, Michael
directs his counsel to professional body builders, I think people like us can
learn something useful from his ideas. And that is: good exercise is supremely
necessary for a healthy body but it will work best, if we combine it with nutritious
diets and adequate rest. When we do this, we can reap the fullest gain of
unlimited vitality.
In conclusion, the sovereign invigorator of the body is regular exercise. And we
don’t need expensive workout gadgets or become a gym rat to increase our
heartbeats for good. We just need to commit ourselves to a few minutes of aerobic
motions every day.
With this
little effort, I hope you are convinced that regular exercise can enhance your
energy, sharpen your focus, strengthen your mind and elevate your mood.
More
importantly, I hope I have nudged you enough to make it a daily practice in
your life.
