Rowing Your Way Into Fitness: Work-Life Balance for Executives

Work-Life Balance (WLB) is the ability find parity between one's required work activities and other aspects of one's recreational life to enhance performance on and off the corporate leather chair. Executives often struggle with maintaining healthy weight and appropriate fitness levels due to the nature of their fast paced, cut to the second, lifestyles. Such suit wearing warriors would benefit from outlets that provide them opportunities to step away from the excitement of the dog-eat-dog world of business and fulfill their competitive cravings in other arenas (Being focused on the business prices can be enjoyable as well but is limiting in the long run if one doesn't find alternate interests. Many people have come to the day of retirement and wondered if they maximized their time and enjoyment.).

The morning is just a cresting glow almost imperceptible over the horizon, crystalized breath in chilly morning air, fingers numb but still able to curl, and nothing can be heard except awakening outdoor wildlife.  Gliding along the water's surface, the oars slip in, challenge the water, and then feather out with little more then a butterfly's ripple. A bird swoops past as the emboldened shadow of the sun rises.

Sculling is a sport that pushes ones physical and mental abilities to improve, adapt, become stronger, and more capable with each stroke. Few can wake up in the early morning hours and brave the predawn water hours before normal people's alarm clocks rip awake the conscious of cozy dreamers. The very act self inflicted discipline separates rowers from non rowers and the most diligent from the least diligent. Grit as a factor in school, business, and sport!

A research study on rowing's impact on health for 15 participants found that rowing significantly reduced fat mass and body fat percentages leading to a healthier lifestyle. Bone marrow content of 14 subjects also increased marginally. The Effects of Indoor Rowing. Sculling requires cardiovascular commitment and consists of short bursts of energy similarly known to increase muscle tone and bone density.

Happiness in the work can be measured secondarily through engagement in non-work related physical activity and recreational outlets. Research has found that those who engage in WLB had obtained good health and positive prosperity when compared to those who did not engage in beneficial WLB . The research is not necessarily ground breaking but does highlight the point that physical exercise can influence workplace performance. You can read more about that associate in Outcomes of Physical Activities and Sports on Work-Life Balance of Employees

For those considering improving their health and work-life-balance they may want to self reflect on your interests, resources, and time to find those activities that can improve physical health, community connection, and a psychological outlook at the same time. When one wants to maximize the use of their downtime they could consider something that hits multiple recreational birds with one stone. If you don't like rowing, consider something like pickle ball.  Don't like pickle ball, join a walking group or dance group. If you have no idea what you like try out a lot of things (Trust me, there are some people who have no idea what they like because they haven't explored all the opportunities. They may have culturally been confined to certain sports but have opened up their opportunities.) You get the point, pick what you want!

* I have a trainers license so feel free to send me a message if you seek some guidance in your workouts. 

(No affiliation with the organization but the video is certainly motivating.)