5 Reasons Every Entrepreneur Should Routinely Exercise By Fania Bajot

Building and scaling a business requires entrepreneurs to maintain their productivity and creativity while managing financial risk, stress, failure, as well as celebrating successes. Often described as a roller coaster experience, entrepreneurship demands passion, energy and grit to stay focused on the objectives. 

Except for contraindication related to your physical condition, exercising can play a massive part in an entrepreneur’s life. Regular physical exercise helps to develop discipline, and maintain physical and mental wellbeing to keep up with hectic schedules.

From team sports to individual sports, various activities are available to fit the taste and needs of the practitioner. Fania Bajot, PhD, scientist and founder of Ô SABLÉ and Fania B, shares with us how exercising is an integral part of her entrepreneurial journey. Here are her 5 reasons to integrate physical activities in your routine.

General health benefits 

Prioritising health is central. Along with a healthy diet, the regular practice of physical activities helps to prevent many chronic, mental, and/or age-related diseases. In the case of cardiovascular disease, for example, numerous scientific studies have reported the benefits of regular exercise on risk factors such as a reduction in blood pressure.

Stress management and boosting creativity

The pressure to succeed, overcoming obstacles and uncertainty of the future,  are inherent to entrepreneurship but can lead to stress and anxiety. Accepting that stress is inevitable is the first step towards its management. Tap into the brain biochemistry to boost your mood and improve your creativity. Endorphins are hormones associated with a state of wellbeing. The release of these hormones is triggered by aerobic activities (e.g. cardio exercises). 

Breathing exercises can also bring peace and calm to the mind helping you to regain control of your thoughts. Being calm and relaxed gives your mind the space to work and see the broader picture. Manage your stress by allocating space and time for some “self-care’ away from your office, laptop and phone.

Keep focused and productive

The integration of sport as a daily activity (even for a short time) can enhance your productivity. Start your day with a walk, a run or stretching exercises to generate the stamina for your working day. Physical activities during lunchtime insert a proper break in the day. This allows you to keep your energy level up for the afternoon. A balanced day allows us to work more efficiently.

Build a can-do attitude

Completion of business milestones could be a long term process. With time, your motivation may wane. It is important to never stop believing in yourself and to keep a positive state of mind. Learning new exercises or practising a new sport can demonstrate the importance of dedication and patience. Every small success gained while learning a new activity will contribute to building a can-do attitude. 

Acceptance of competitiveness

Business is a competitive world and competition can stimulate innovation and creativity. Sport can teach you a lot about competitiveness and how to deal with it. A valuable lesson is that sometimes, to win, you only need to be better than your competition, you don’t need to be perfect.