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How to Be a Fit Mid-Market CEO for 2022 and Beyond

By Alan Gehringer

How to Be a Fit CEO for 2017.png

dateFri, Nov 26, 2021 @ 09:00 AM

To give your business an edge against the competition in 2019, you might be considering some ways toHow to be a fit middle market CEO in 2019 level yourself up in the process. Instead of looking for extra hours, more meetings, and hiring new personnel to help you tackle it all, have you considered using fitness to your advantage? The benefits of being physically active and healthy are many, but for the business-minded, the boost in mental productivity, creativity, and optimism are three tools you need to increase your success in the coming year. 

Before getting into the how-to, let’s look at some powerful CEOs who utilize fitness to perform at their best.

  • Padmasree Warrior, formerly of MotorolaCisco and now NextEV is a great example. Dedicated to both work and fitness, her regimen is nothing to scoff at. Warrior wakes up at dawn every single day to do a workout then gets to the office by 8:30 am.
  • Then, we have the CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts a division of Marriott, Frits van Paasschen, who completed his first Iron Man triathlon in 2013. He’s vegan, works out 6 days a week, and when he held a position at Nike, he held jogging meetings.
  • Lastly, Dick Costolo the former CEO of Twitter is probably one of the fittest CEOs out there. Not only is he into Crossfit workouts, he loves posting these workouts on Twitter. In fact, most of his updates are about fitness, not technology.

So, what do these people have in common? Dedication and commitment to not only their companies but to themselves. Yes, their lives and routines are grueling. But the amount of success that they have garnered for themselves is outstanding, to say the least.

Physical Fitness

Start early. You might notice that a lot of CEOs start their day early. For that reason, they start their workouts even earlier. Since the morning routine is something you have control over, figuring out how to fit in a workout is easier than any other time of the day. It will take some getting used to, but those first 30-60 minutes of your morning should be used for a quick workout. You’ll feel more aware and be more productive throughout the day.  This a great way to build personal accountability, as team accountability begins with personal accountability.  

Start small. If you’re just jumping on the workout bandwagon now, don’t go full-out until your body gets used to the increased activity and training. Build yourself up gradually.

Exercise almost every day. Five to six days a week is the recommendation, giving yourself a day for either low-intensity recovery workouts (like yoga or meditation), or not working out at all (for full-on physical recovery). There are workouts that can be done at any time of the day. Higher intensity workouts don’t take as long to burn the same amount of calories that an hour long yoga class does. Keep that in mind as you schedule what to do and when.

Try functional fitness. Consider enlisting the aid of a personal fitness trainer to help you first correct any muscular imbalances and teach you proper lifting, squatting, and push-up techniques.

Do what’s fun to you. That’s the key point. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, it’s going to be harder to commit. Walk along a beach, take a group fitness class, try yoga, go hiking, dance, enroll in martial arts, or go skiing or snowboarding—the choice is yours.

Mental Fitness

The second part of fitness is having a healthy mind. The better the food you eat, the more efficiently you can function in all business matters.

Be sure to eat and drink the following throughout the week:

  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Nuts and nut butters (including peanuts)
  • Avocado (and other foods rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids)
  • Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
  • Whole grain bread or cereal
  • Yogurt (or anything with probiotics)
  • Peppers (for the capsicum)
  • Leafy green vegetables
  • Green tea
  • Black tea

When it comes to being a fit CEO for the coming year, stay motivated towards your goals in both work and life. Boost yourself up with a healthy lifestyle, diet, and exercise. And remember: have fun!

Good luck, Alan

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Want more information on Team Accountability? Check out these additional resources:

Take Our Team Accountability Assessment 

The Five C's of Team Accountability

Team Accountability Begins with Personal Accountability

Building Team Accountability: Job Scorecards

10 Signs of an Accountable Culture [Infographic]

Growing Accountability in Your Organization

Quick Tips for Building Accountability

5 Steps to Having an Accountability Discussion [Video]

Learn more about accountable leaders and teams. 

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Alan Gehringer

 

Photo Credit: iStock by Getty Images