QUESTION: Recently, a few colleagues and I had a discussion at work about people who exercise and are successful versus those who are inactive and not as successful. Is there any truth to that theory?
ANSWER: As a business owner, I attribute my mental and physical endurance as well as my business enthusiasm to being fit. I can't imagine the toll that business ownership would have on me if I weren't taking care of my health.
Whether you're a mother working at home or an owner of a Fortune 500 company, exercise is the key to success and balance.
Several studies show a correlation between regular exercise and business success. So yes, there seems to be truth to the theory that a healthy body can transfer to a healthy income.
A study at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., found that business owners who kept a regular workout schedule, despite all the other demands on their time, wound up doing better in their jobs, the Associated Press reported in September 2003.
Researchers asked 366 entrepreneurs -- randomly selected members from Chamber of Commerce directories in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky -- whether they ran or weight trained. They found that most of the business owners, with an average age of 40, did neither. But 49 ran a few times a week and 23 ran daily. 70 lifted weights a few days a week and 25 lifted daily.
Of the participants interviewed, those who ran or weight trained a few times a week were about 4 percent more likely than nonexercisers to be making as much money as they had expected, the study found. But daily exercisers were about 14 percent more likely. Similarly, exercisers who worked out a few times a week were about 3 percent more likely than nonexercisers to feel they were achieving personal satisfaction in their businesses, while regular exercisers were at least 10 percent more likely. Michael G. Goldsby, an assistant professor of management at Ball State, told the Associated Press: "In the rat race of business, the fit person wins." If you think about the benefits of exercise, it makes sense that success follows those who are more fit. Given that exercise enhances mental as well as physical productivity, it all points toward greater achievement. In addition, the stress that arises from everyday business can be reduced simply through regular exercise. Trainer tip: No time to exercise? Why not at work? If you have a 10-minute break or a lunch hour, why not sneak in a walk? Put some light dumbbells in your drawer, and sneak in a few bicep curls or shoulder presses. Exercise is about consistency, not convention. Something is always better than nothing! Nicki Anderson is a certified personal trainer, author and owner of Reality Fitness in Naperville, Ill.Daily Herald. Powered by Yellowbrix.
