Workplace Fitness: A Gym Full
Of Useful Advice For Continual Learning
by Eileen McDargh
"Where do you get all your
energy?" That's a question many of us are
asked as we finish leading an intense management retreat, conducting a
training session, or keynoting a major
conference. My answer, after I
jokingly say, "Drugs!" is
"Exercise".
I've realized that some of the lessons learned
in a physical fitness program are appropriate for our
personal and
professional growth and have also have application in
the training
room.
Cross train. It's essential for
continual improvement. We all get into our
ruts, doing the same
routines over and over again and wondering why we
don't see any
improvement. The body (as well as the mind)
slips into neutral.
Cross-training challenges different parts of our
physical structure.
We have to learn a new way of holding weights, of
balancing, of
breathing. We gain a new appreciation for a different
skill set. The
parallels in organizational behavior are
immediate.
Hydrate. The body demands water when it
is being physically taxed. So too does the brain.
Notice I didn't say
"coffee". Just plain old clear water.
Water might not be our favorite
beverage but hydration actually helps our
endurance. No wonder we
want pitchers of water in our training rooms!
Push beyond your barriers. There are
two kinds of barriers; those imposed by others and
those imposed by
ourselves. The latter are the most restrictive.
I finally took a
spinning class. This class uses a stationery bike
that can be adjusted
to tighten or loosen the gears. I can literally feel
like I am
pedaling up Mt. Everest or cruising along the beach
sand. It's the
hardest class I have ever taken. I love and hate
it. And I go because
it makes me push against what my mind says "you
can't do". Now, I'm
NOT going to challenge Lance Armstrong. My body DOES
know its limits.
But I AM doing that which I said I could not. It's a
thrill!
End performance anxiety. Walk
into a
gym and you see the jocks who grunt and lift huge
weights vying with
their buddies for the most reps. Go to a class
and you'll see the
double-stepping, dance-twirling footwork of some
double-jointed
exerciser. If you try that move, you'll twist
your knee and land in
surgery. We are not built alike. While pushing
beyond barriers, also
know that each one of us has specific abilities. To
demand that I hop
and dance like the knee-torking guy in the front row
is ludicrous. I
am here to improve my body-not resemble theirs!
Talk is cheating. At my gym, there are
members who spend most of their time swapping war
stories and giving
updates on current sport matches. Instead of working
out, they talk.
And then, they'll ALSO talk about how hard they
worked out. I call
that cheating. Stick to the task at hand. Action
ALWAYS is louder than
words
Get a trainer. We can't see our
postures with free weights. We don't know what
different exercise
might improve a specific problem area. And we don't
always stick to a
regimen unless we're accountable to someone besides
ourselves. Call
it a coach, an advisor, a mentor-whatever. But
all of us can benefit
from the advise and new eyes of someone outside of
ourselves.
Celebrate your success. I admit: I
despised exercise when I started. But I KNEW
that I had to begin. I
set a goal of 3 exercise times per week-30 minutes to
start. Every
time I exercised, I put a sticker in my appointment
book. Yes-a fun
sticker: animal, cartoon face, flower, you name
it. Amazing but my
appointment book began to blossom with crazy kid
stickers. I could
literally see progress every week. When
beginning any new behavior,
we all know that rewards are important. Stickers are
cheap and visual.
Whatever the reward, it's the consistency of the
giving that matters.
Workplace workouts, in the context of
learning, can promise growth, stamina, productivity,
AND ultimately
profitable performance.
© Eileen McDargh, McDargh Communications. All rights reserved. You may reprint this article so long as it remains intact with the byline and if all links are made live.
Since 1980, Hall of Fame speaker Eileen McDargh has helped Fortune 100 companies as well as individuals create connections that count and conversations that matter. Her latest book is Gifts from the Mountain-Simple Truths for Life's Complexities. Her other books include Talk Ain't
Cheap...It's Priceless and Work for a Living and Still Be Free to Live, one of the first books to address the notion of balance and authentic work. A 59 year-old grandmother, she recently returned from climbing among the highest mountains in the world. Find out more about this compelling
and effective professional speaker and join her free newsletter by visiting http://www.EileenMcDargh.com.
McDargh
Communications
(949) 496-8640
Eileen@EileenMcDargh.com
www.EileenMcDargh.com
© 2008 McDargh Communications, All rights
reserved
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