You keep your offices, your operations and your company finances in great shape.

What about your own body?

Great leaders – people like Richard Branson, Elon Musk and Barack Obama – have rigorous fitness routines for a good reason: they understand how important exercise is to being an effective boss.

Research supports what these professionals already know:

• According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise improves mood, combats chronic disease, boosts energy level and promotes better sleep.
• A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that workers with poor health habits display subpar work performance more often than other workers.
• This research summary prepared by the Illinois Department of Public Health cites substantial evidence of a relationship between physical activity and improved cognitive and executive functioning, as well as executive control.

Exercising regularly is one of the best things you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory, learning and decision-making. And that’s just the start! Responsible exercise habits also deliver the following benefits that will support your success as a leader:

Travel Stamina

Have to fly across time zones, dash through train stations or attend marathon conferences as part of your role? Being in great shape minimizes the impact of travel-related stress.

Increased Networking Opportunities

In decades past, important business deals were often struck late-night over clinking rocks glasses. But boy, times have changed. Now, you’re just as (if not more) likely to find professionals conducting business and growing their networks at the gym or sporting events.

Improved Appearance

Yes, it’s unfair – but it’s a fact of life. Research reported in the Economist demonstrates just how much physical attributes impact people’s perceptions of leaders. On the whole, our population is biased to favor tall, fit leaders. You may not be able to change your height, but you can absolutely tip the scales in your favor (pun intended) by improving your fitness.

What do you need to achieve as a leader?

Exact Staff delivers exceptional talent and innovative strategies to meet your local or national requirements. Whether it’s a single temporary for a day or an entire project team, we provide a range of staffing and placement solutions to increase productivity and performance.

What can we do for you? Contact a staffing expert at your local Exact Staff office today.