6 Ways Daily Exercise Skyrockets Your Productivity Whether you work out in the morning or the evening, it boosts your energy.
By John Rampton Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
We frequently hear people, companies, and the media advocating for exercise -- and for good reason.
Exercise pays many positive dividends in life. It is why so many people swear to it, why we frequently see people running the streets and why so many hold annual gym memberships. There are countless valid health arguments for why you should exercise, and doing so makes you feel better.
From a professional setting, exercising also helps your productivity. Despite taking time out of your day, those who frequently exercise tend to accomplish more. There is a reason that even many of the top CEOs and billionaires from around the world exercise, despite all else on their plates.
Here are six specific reasons why daily exercise has helped them and will skyrocket your productivity:
1. You will be more focused.
Working out allows you to free up mental space. It helps eliminate random thoughts and teaches you to be more present since exercising is a very in-the-moment experience. Consequently, people that exercise each day have much greater clarity.
This greater sense of focus and presence pay large dividends towards productivity. When you are working, it becomes easier to think about the task at hand with all of your energy.
One of the greatest hits to productivity, on the other hand, is getting distracted. Surfing the web, daydreaming or forgetting what you were working on in the first place are common vices. This is especially the case in our culture today, where technology provides endless opportunity to get off-topic. By having a more peaceful mind, you can tune out the distractions and give more attention to the task at hand.
Related: Why Exercising Is a Higher Priority Than My Business
2. Your mood will be better.
Exercising releases endorphins which make people happier. When you are happier, you will be more positive, optimistic and productive. You will view the work ahead through a better lens.
This will better enable you to accomplish all types of tasks. It is especially the case for those that are challenging. When you are in a bad place, those tasks seem daunting, and there is less desire to take them on. In a better mood, on the other hand, they can be seen as exciting challenges ahead.
This applies to remedial tasks as well. When you are in a better mood, you will attack your work with greater vigor and excitement, even when it is dull. This will both increase the amount you accomplish as well as the speed in which you can accomplish it.
Related: Science Says Healthy Scheduling Habits Make People Happier
3. You train yourself to be disciplined.
People that work out each day learn discipline. Is it no easy feat to find the motivation to physically push your body on such a frequent basis. The more time that people have spent exercising, therefore, the greater discipline that they have.
This productivity habit can also apply to a variety of other areas of life, including your work. It becomes easier to sit down for an extended amount of time for work, to work for more hours in a day, and to stay on task the entire time.
With greater discipline comes significantly heightened productivity.
4. You will be more creative.
Creativity is highly related to productivity. This is because accomplishing tasks at a high level of competency often requires creativity. Otherwise, you might have to go back and make changes or spend more time brainstorming ideas and solutions.
When you exercise, you activate different parts of your brain and body that spike creativity. That makes it both easier to do work and it makes the work more creative.
5. The days have less of a lull.
One of the greatest productivity killers is a lull in the day when people lose energy. The time of day is different for everyone, but many people experience lethargy at some point throughout the day in the office. During this period, less work is accomplished, there is more messing around, and time is, ultimately, wasted.
Exercising is a great remedy to this problem. Whether you work out in the morning or the evening, it boosts your energy. That is why many people thank their early morning workouts for their full and productive days. This includes having more calendar time. With greater energy, you will be able to remain productive for larger amounts of time and accomplish significantly more.
Related: 25 Time-Tested Ways to Schedule a Call With a Business Prospect
6. There is a greater sense of urgency.
One of the largest arguments against frequent exercising is that it gives you less time in the day. In reality, though, that can make you more productive.
People argue that exercising takes too much time and they cannot accomplish what they need with the remains of the day. That is a fallacy, though. There is almost always enough time in the day to workout. Even if it is just for 30 minutes.
When there is truly an overwhelming amount of work to be done, then there is a greater sense of urgency. If you have an afternoon workout scheduled, then there is heightened urgency to finish your tasks before you leave work.
If you workout in the morning, then you will have a bit less time in the office to accomplish all tasks. When we feel the pressure of time, we tend to rise to the occasion. That means accomplishing more in shorter periods of time. When there is too much time, on the other hand, we tend to work more slowly because we can.
