I get the sense we are all wanting to get fitter and healthier in an easy and quick way. Humans are habitual and tend to stay with the status quo and so by incorporating it in to your daily routine and diary of events seems to be a winner.
To assist you, here are three ways you can start your mission:
- Think water as the key ingredient for growth
This isnt news to you I am sure. There are numerous studies of the benefits of water to support concentration, reduce weight, allowing your body to flush through the toxins of life, keeps you in a good mood and being hydrated.
Always have water available for meetings and areas where people meet. Give branded water bottles to all new employees and encourage all leaders and managers to set an example by bringing the bottle to meetings.
2. Movement as a means to enhance your creativity and fitness
Walking has always been a means to reflect, innovate and be creative and so bringing this to what I do as a coach, leader and consultant has been amazing.
Niopher Merchants TED talk ‘Got a meeting? Take a walk’ summarises the great benefits or walking and working.
Martin Bjergegaard and Jordan Milne, successful business leaders, book Winning without loosing: 66 strategies for succeeding in business while living a happy and balanced life first confirmed my approach of meetings as a wining formula. They take the movement aspect to the next extreme by having internal meetings particularly with business partners by going for a run.
Have a look in your diary and what events can you do by moving rather than sitting down. Can you achieve a task like getting your lunch by walking a little bit further or take the stairs rather than the lift?
3. Food optimise your body and mind
You are what you eat has been a saying for a number of years in the UK after a TV program of the same name. Although a cliched statement it is true that the compounds and liquids that go into your body form who you are and how efficient you operate.
As an example if you eat things that are high carbohydrate and high in simple sugars like sugary snacks, sugary fruits, bread, potatoes and rice (to name but a few) at lunchtime you are likely to feel sleepy after eating them.
Foods that are high in nutrients will support your body in optimising chemical reactions that will allow you to perform at your best. Whether in a muscle cell (bearing in mind that includes your heart) your nervous system and or skin the chemical reactions require certain chemical compounds to optimise performance.
Have a go with replacing a biscuit or piece of cake with a few nuts and seeds, try some natural greek yogurt with blueberries, cheese and olives, 85% dark chocolate or hummus and raw vegetables. If you are organising an event try and incorporating these foods rather than sandwiches and biscuits.
Having trouble knowing where to start #getting started — here are a few ideas:
- Have a competition as to who can bring the best snack with the lowest amount of sugar to your weekly meetings (most packaging will give you the amount of Carbohydrate broken down into sugars and non sugars).
- As a manager bring water to your meeting for people to share.
- When ordering food for snacks and meals during day events check with the catering people the ‘sugars’ content and minimise the amount of carbohydrate at lunchtime to reduce the numbers who will snooze.
- Plan ahead and order the low sugar high nutrient snacks as part of your weekly delivery at home .
Remember like all things in life you will progress over time. Rome wasnt built in a day!
I am passionate about how we treat our bodies impacts our performance whether an athlete, leader in business, parent and professional. This life quest I have been studying, learning and developing through my own experience and business.
Would be great if you could share your experiences. I know you may be thinking this is a marketing ploy however I am genuinely interested in improving performance and so always up for a conversation.
Lizzie Rhodes James is a Performance Coach and Facilitator who specialises in helping teams and individuals exceed their potential at work and in life. Having successfully transitioned from a successful Army career into the Corporate world, Lizzie brings an exceptional and distinctive blend of discipline, focus and agility into her practice. Lizzie is also passionate about health and wellness, and adds a depth of thinking to align body and mind, enhancing overall performance and encouraging clients to transcend their limits.
