Entrepreneurs, do you have time to exercise?

If you're a business owner, you have to be healthy. Everyone knows what to do: eat better food; and exercise more. People just don't necessarily know 'how' to go about doing it.

For the next couple of blog entries, I'll talk about the need for entrepreneurs to exercise and how to squeeze it into an already packed schedule.

Busy people because they don't think that they have the time to exercise. I came across a book called THE COMPLETE IDIOTS GUIDE TO SHORT WORKOUTS, by Deidre Johnson-Cane, Johnathan Cane, and Joe Glickman. On page six of the book, here is what the authors say about busy people and exercise:

"The busier you are, the more you need to exercise. Exercise reduces stress, boosts your energy, and improves health. When you are busy, you can't afford to get sick. Exercising is an excellent preventive measure. You're not training to climb Mount Everest, just to get in and stay in shape, which in our culture has become a rather lofty goal."

Man, that was very well said.

It seems contradictory that if you are tired that you should not exercise. But
it is definitely true that exercise boosts your vitality and makes you more virus proof. Like a lot of you, I work in an office building where sick people come to work with all of their nasty viruses and we have to share the same recycled air. Sometimes people catch a real nasty bug, but they recover surprisingly fast. Why? Because they make time for exercise.

Here are 10 good reasons to exercise (from THE COMPLETE IDIOTS GUIDE TO SHORT WORKOUTS):

1. Improves your appearance and your self esteem.



2. Lowers your blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease.



3. Makes your muscles, joints, and bones stronger. This is particularly important for women over 40 who lose bone density as they age.



4. Is practical: Carrying groceries or your kids, or changing a tire are far easier when you've got some 'oomph'.



5. Reduces stress and helps people counteract depression. For a society that pops Prozac and other psychotropic drugs like candy, that's significant.



6. Improves your ability to concentrate.



7. Increases your levels of HDL, the "good cholesterol".



8. Improves your sleep.



9. Speeds up your metabolism-a huge factor in a country with obese people than any other in the Western world. We've become a nation of kings and queens - Burger Kings & Dairy Queens.



10. Increases the likelihood of you winning the Super Lottery.

Okay, just kidding about #10, but the other nine are right and exact.

I had knee surgery last in early December (2008), and I'm on the comeback trail, so I'm looking forward of moving away from my rehab training and getting back to some fitness training. I can definitely spare a few pounds.

Business owners, please find the time to exercise and make sure to eat right.

What is the point of working hard to build your fortune and to create a better quality of life for yourself if you're not healthy enough to enjoy it?

To your health,