The Other Bottom Line

How are you supposed to have the time or energy to keep your body in shape while growing a company? Here's why taking the time to take care of your health may be the best thing you ever did for your business.

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OWNER'S MANUAL

What is one of the smartest ways to improve the health of your business? Take care of your own health

Naomi Miller spends every ounce of energy and every minute of the day growing her architectural-lighting consulting firm. Or at least it feels that way. Since she launched her business in Troy, N.Y., about a year ago, it's been hard for her to see anything else as a priority. And for Miller that dedication has paid off with steady business growth. Unfortunately, her intensity also has taken its toll on her health. "I have many sleepless nights when I'm fretting about work," she says, sighing. "I'm mentally adding up all the commitments I have to comply with." She also feels the strain physically. "My muscle tone is starting to go," she grumbles. "All my weight is going south. It's continental drift."

Despite her best intentions, she finds it nearly impossible to maintain any semblance of a fitness regime. "I put so much emphasis on my business and getting and staying ahead, getting my name out there, that all the business stuff has to come first," says Miller. "At the end of the day if a proposal has to go out, that will happen before I go to the gym."

Miller is hardly unique. Entrepreneurs are exceptionally motivated and driven to build thriving, healthy companies. But, ironically, when it comes to their own health, those high achievers often fall flat. As a personal trainer, I work with many successful business owners and executives who've been stymied in their efforts to get and stay in shape. They -- and maybe you -- have made that same old New Year's resolution year after year.

Why can't such determined people accomplish as much on the fitness front as they do on the business battlefield? Lack of time is the usual explanation, but there's more to it than that. Too often, the same personal qualities that produce professional success are obstacles to fitness success. It doesn't have to be that way. You can take a few easy steps to improve your overall fitness without feeling like you are in training for a triathlon. But first you have to recognize that certain ways of thinking, common to many business owners, will guarantee you failure.

The 110% solution
"Never stop." "Give it all you've got." "Do whatever it takes." Does that sound like you? As an entrepreneur or CEO, you are committed to your business 110%. You are intense and demanding -- especially of yourself.

Although that mind-set may be great for your company's bottom line, it might not be so great for yours. When applied to exercise, it can lead to the all-or-nothing trap: if you can't commit to an hour at the gym four or five times a week, then you figure you might as well not bother at all. And even if you do start such a strict program, as soon as you miss a few sessions, you are likely to quit. For example, Peter Zeughauser ran and lifted weights regularly before he started his own legal consulting firm in Newport Beach, Calif., four years ago. But, he recalls, "when I started my business, I stopped weight lifting. Even though people told me it was OK to miss some days, I said, 'Screw it.' That was not my mentality. If I couldn't do my own regimen, which was three times a week, I wouldn't do it at all." The result? He may not feel it yet, but Zeughauser is getting weaker every year. Without some kind of strength training, he -- like all of us -- is naturally losing muscle as he ages.

If you share Zeughauser's all-or-nothing mentality, you may find the remedy surprising: take it easy. Many recent studies show that to control your weight, cut your risk of heart attack, and have more energy to enjoy life, all you need is 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week. Furthermore, you don't have to do the 30 minutes all at once. The U.S. surgeon general, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American College of Sports Medicine all agree: three 10-minute bouts of nonstop motion are as good as half an hour. And all sorts of activities qualify -- as long as you keep moving for at least 10 minutes -- including yard work, dog walking, and housecleaning. Keep it up, and you -- and your doctor -- may be surprised at your next checkup to find that your blood pressure is lower, your cholesterol levels are improved, and maybe even your weight is down.

You don't have to stick to a schedule; that way, it will be easier to keep up your 30 minutes a day when travel, business, or family obligations arise. Plus, you'll be more likely to avoid injuries and burnout, which often doom overly aggressive exercisers. Certainly, if your goals are ambitious or specific -- say, to run a marathon or to reshape your body -- you need a more vigorous, structured workout. And you'll eventually want to do a few things to keep your muscles strong -- though you surely can forgo a regime like Zeughauser's old one . But if you just want to start improving your health and sense of well-being, you can forget those hour-long visits to the gym.

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