INQUIRE NOW
A healthier lifestyle for managers
When it comes to health, many like to follow this motto: Close your eyes and keep going. While this may work, it also reduces one’s lifespan. Being physically fit and having unlimited capacity to perform is still seen as a sign of power. It is not easy for a manager to show signs of weakness. After all, they are supposed to be a role model and make a good impression at all times. However, among certain management circles, word has now spread that physical activity in addition to relaxation and a balanced diet has a balancing effect on a challenging everyday work routine, and that it is good to set aside time for this.
Some of the favourite sports activities of many top managers include jogging, cycling and exercising at the gym. The treadmill is a general favourite because one can quickly check one’s Blackberry while exercising. Endurance sports are often played alone and even though one may appear fit and slim on the outside, the muscle groups that are not strained tend to weaken, which can lead to serious health consequences.
Back pain caused by shortened muscles
What was once seen as a sign of old age is now increasingly affecting middle-aged managers. The German Sport University Cologne found out that low muscle activity led to deterioration in the large muscle groups of 75% of the managers who participated in the study. Many of them seemed to be in good shape, but often complained of back pain, which is the direct result of shortened muscles. Focussing only on stamina can cause the abdominal muscles and hip flexors to shorten and weaken the deep back muscles and gluteal muscles.
Proper nutrition leads to better performance
People who sit at the desk or in meeting rooms all day long walk right into the calorie trap. It is usually difficult for managers to maintain their weight, and obesity is a real performance killer. Snacks containing sugar should especially be avoided. Besides being high in calories, these snacks increase the blood sugar level quickly, which then rapidly also goes back down. This can not only lead to food cravings but also disturb concentration.
Start your day instead with a real energy booster and make your own muesli. Just mix sugar-free wholegrain muesli with a little bit of yogurt and milk, and add finely chopped fruit. Occasionally, you can eat a handful of nuts, mix low-fat quark with fresh berries or a banana or have some unsweetened fruit or vegetable juice. Include fish or turkey in your office lunch every now and then with rice or vegetables. Most importantly, avoid alcohol, creamy sauces and fried food to go about your day with more ease and energy.
Make a good workout plan to go with all of your business trips
Busy managers often follow their workout plan only for the sake of following it. What was once considered to be a balance to a stressful job has now turned into a chore that has to be finished quickly. As a result, managers often work out late at night or in a jet-lagged state on the exercise bicycle at the hotel. This is pointless. Simply going through with such a workout program mechanically is not very effective or healthy because the body needs a recovery period. Instead of performing heroic feats, you should draw up a goal-oriented workout plan that fits in your busy work routine.
When you feel good, it shows
Feeling physically good is important. Because it is only when you feel good that you can be content with your life, and it shows. Small changes can make a big difference. Take the help of an experienced trainer and focus on your stamina, strength, flexibility and coordination. The trick is to achieve the right combination of different kinds of exercise and a balanced diet.
Being mindful improves the quality of life
When it comes to relaxation techniques, the typical reaction is this: Breathing exercises are not for me. However, once they got past this initial scepticism, some companies began to see this in a positive light. Because in a world spinning faster and faster every day, those who cannot keep calm inside are lost. Exercises based on mindfulness, for instance, can help you collect yourself before a meeting: Sit in a relaxed and upright position, inhale deeply and think to yourself “I do my best”. Then, exhale deeply, telling yourself, “I let go the rest”. Mindfulness is not an efficiency-boosting pill, but a way of training the mind and achieving inner tranquillity in life.
Always being at the top of your game requires focus & energy
It is important for managers to be fit, because physically and mentally fit individuals compensate for stress better. The «SMOOVE High Performance & Health Concept» is an intelligent combination of sports medicine performance diagnostics, and an individual performance, lifestyle and coaching program, which can be easily integrated into a challenging everyday professional life.
If you would like to know more about this, simply call us at +41 71 534 1696 or write to me at: petra.geisser@smoove-retreat.ch for free consultation.
Yours truly,
Petra Geisser