I was sifting through some excerpts from Albert Schweitzer’s Africa Notebooks and stumbled on this relevant observation the great missionary and humanitarian made as he conversed with the natives of Africa. They were curious as to the differences between themselves and the people of Europe where Schweitzer was born.
So I go on to tell them that in Europe people row for pleasure, a statement followed by uncontrollable laughter. … I don’t attempt to make clear to them what sport is. The conditions under which they live in so many ways compel them to use their physical forces and take exercise to a greater extent than they like, that they cannot understand at all how people can do so except under compulsion.
In our corner of the world where food is abundant and many of us ply a trade that is sedentary, we all could benefit from feeling a compulsion to exercise!
But I’m too busy.
That is exactly where one of the biggest benefits of exercise during work hours presents itself. An article in the September 2011 issue of the Insurance Journal reported on a several new studies that show reducing work hours for exercise doesn’t decrease productivity, but instead increases work productivity. The studies also indicated that regular exercise during work hours cuts the number of work days missed each year.
I have a friend who sets eight 8-ounce cups of water on his desk. Every hour he drinks a glass of water and drops down and does 20 push ups. The only downside is more bathroom breaks! I’ve tended to go into my home office an hour earlier than a normal work day so I can have a 90-minute lunch break to ride my bike.
What’s best for you? You decide. Take a power walk. Drive to the health club. Do pushups and jump rope. Do what works for you.
Definitely don’t let the excuse of being too busy get in your way. Not only will exercise improve your overall health, but you’ll activate a pattern of discipline and variety that makes the rest of your work day that much more productive!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A 30-year veteran of the publishing industry, Mark Gilroy has served as publisher and executive vice president at several companies and currently runs a company that services retailers, publishers, ministries, and other organizations in the industry. Mark Gilroy is author of the critically acclaimed novel, Cuts Like a Knife. The second book in the series, Every Breath You Take, hits the market on October 23, 2012.