Exercise & It’s Benefits By Bay Burdett

Being an entrepreneur can be so rewarding, but it’s very hard work too. You’re pulled from pillar to post every day, having to wear every different hat from the business – from Finance Maestro to Marketeer! As an entrepreneur, the intensity of work, constant stress and requirement to focus can be overwhelming, but exercise can really help to boost your energy, relax you and refocus. Founder & CEO of Bay’s Kitchen, Bay Burdett, provides 5 key reasons to exercise when you’re an entrepreneur. 

Clear your mind & focus

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or not, exercise is a great way to clear your mind. For 30-60mins a day you should think about nothing else than the exercise you’re doing. Choose an exercise you enjoy – it doesn’t matter if it’s high intensity like running or a spin class, or if it’s low intensity, like a walk or yoga, it will still help you to clear your mind and remain focussed. 

It can be great to exercise in the morning before work as it will help you to focus for the rest of the day, but equally, if you prefer to exercise in the evening then that’s great too as it will help you clear your mind of the day’s stresses.

Reduce stress & increase confidence

Exercise is a great stress reliever! Whether it’s an early morning swim or an evening Body Combat class, exercise really helps you to let go of things which are causing you stress. Most people will listen to music whilst exercising too, which again helps you to reduce stress by immersing yourself in the songs.

Exercise also helps you to improve your body image and therefore helps increase inner confidence. As entrepreneur confidence is key! 

Increased cognitive function

There are lots of scientific studies which prove that exercise increases cognitive function. There are also studies which show that exercise helps memory and also increases creative thinking. All of these are vital as an entrepreneur.

“A study looked at ten sets of identical twins where one twin exercised regularly and the other didn’t. It found that the twins who exercised not only had more endurance than their less active sibling but their brains also had more grey matter — the darker tissue that contains nerve cell bodies, which perform most of the mental processing” – https://www.businessinsider.com/how-exercise-helps-your-brain-2015-12?r=US&IR=T

More energy & better sleep

Good energy levels are a must for entrepreneurs, as every day is always jam-packed with a million and one things to do. Regular exercise helps to deliver more oxygen to your brain and bloodstream, which will help you feel more awake, alert, and ready to go! Exercise also improves your energy levels by increasing endorphins and helping you get better quality sleep.

Work-life balance 

Exercise also helps you to get more of a work-life balance. As an entrepreneur, you are probably thinking ‘there’s no balance, it’s all work, work, work’! A work-life balance is critical though, to help you enjoy your time at work, to help you be more focussed and productive and simply to help enjoy life more! By exercising each day or even a couple of times a week, depending on your situation, you might meet more people through exercise – spend time with friends whilst exercising, or it might just be what you need to get you away from your desk or from home (if you are working from home).