Nov 24, 2017 ● Eric Titner
How exercise can boost your performance at work
We’re all familiar with the obvious benefits of exercise—regular physical activity can keep us looking and feeling fit and healthy, increase our energy levels and confidence, and help us maintain high levels of self-esteem. Staying active can also help us fight off a wealth of potentially life-threatening illnesses, including strokes, diabetes, and heart disease. What’s more, conquering the often overwhelming “exercise obstacle” and overcoming excuses, apathy, and laziness can remind us that we’re capable of bravely facing any challenge that life throws our way.
In contrast, avoiding exercise and all forms of physical activity like the plague can have the reverse effect. Embracing laziness and inactivity can leave us feeling unhealthy and unfit, send our confidence and energy levels plummeting to the basement, and eat away at our self-esteem. Letting the “exercise obstacle” win the day will surely not inspire and motivate you to set and go after major life goals.
It may seem clear by now that exercising on a regular basis is in your best interest. However, if you’re still not sold, perhaps this will help seal the deal—not only does exercise help fuel and maintain a healthy body, it can actually improve your ability to think and retain information. It’s true—your mind and body are interconnected in amazing ways, and nurturing one will benefit the other.
According to a recent article in The New York Times, “many scientists suspect that exercise alters the biology of the brain in ways that make it more malleable and receptive to new information, a process that scientists refer to as plasticity,” and that “…many past studies have shown that exercise prompts the release of multiple neurochemicals in the brain that increase the number of new brain cells and the connections between neurons…these effects improve the brain’s plasticity and augment the ability to learn.”