Why Everyone Should Lift
OK — this is not just about lifting weights and hitting the gym, but exercise and finding ways to focus on moving your body.
This one is for all the professionals and founders/entrepreneurs who can’t find the time and motivation to focus on their health.
I know, it’s hard. I’ve been there.
The long hours at the office, the early morning (or late night) phone calls, the back-to-back meetings, family commitments and so much more.
It’s easy to find reasons not to take action and to find every possible excuse not to act.
It’s easy to not prioritize because it’s never been a priority.
The problem is that most people view exercise as a short-term activity — it’s a means to an end.
They think it simply gets you from point A to point B because they have finite goals — getting to a certain weight, getting in shape for the summer, looking good for a big event like a wedding, etc.
What they fail to realize is that these goals don’t yield long-term results.
In fact, I think it does the opposite. It puts you into a dangerous mindset where you view exercise, fitness and healthy eating as a task. A job to be done. Then you stop, and you fall off the wagon again, again and again.
Instead, do this — view it as part of your lifestyle.
View it as a way to not only promote physical health, but long-term mental health too.
People operate at their best when they have clarity of mind — exercise does this.
People operate at their best when they are happier and more productive — exercise does this.
If this seems too hard, it is supposed to, at least in the beginning.
Ease your way into it — take meetings on your walk, hit the gym every other day, go for a light jog before or after work, prepare home-cooked meals and minimize eating out.
And do this consistently, regardless of how you feel.
All these little things add up, and eventually, you’ll start to see gains.
Sooner or later it will feel easy and won’t feel like a chore.
Ultimately, all you’re doing here is building a foundation for your future self so you can continue to operate at peak performance for as long as possible.
Just like how you invest in your career or in building your company, you should also invest in your long-term health because it’s this very thing that will drive everything else in your life.
So just take one step at a time, and start moving your body.
A series of short notes as a reminder for myself (and others) on how to do great work.
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