- 04.07.14
Live Chat!
The New Habit Challenge: Can Getting Fit Also Make Us More Productive?
Join our resident habit expert Rachel Gillett and other Fast Company editors on Friday, November 14 at 11 a.m. EST as we discuss what happened when we exercised our way to getting more done.
Exercise isn’t just a great way to get fitter and healthier
bodies—it turns out a mere 20 minutes of activity a day can also give our
minds the boost we need to get more done.
Recent research has shown that the brain reacts in several
beneficial ways to exercise. For example, it triggers the release of a protein
called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, which helps improve our learning and
memory. Additionally, exercise triggers the release of endorphins, which
significantly reduce feelings of stress.
"A reduction in stress is tantamount to an expansion of
time," writes one expert.
Just as importantly, the feelings of self-efficacy that we
get when we exercise make us less likely to avoid difficult tasks or situations
and more likely to see them as challenges to be mastered.
To be more productive, we can exercise any time during the
day with whatever activity we like best. In fact, to see mental benefits,
exercise doesn't have to be extremely rigorous; just a little bit of movement
every day for about 20 minutes at a time helps.
For this week's habit challenge, several of us at Fast
Company are putting this idea to the test by working out for 20 minutes each
day. Join us for a live chat at 11 a.m. EST on Friday, November 14 to find out
if our flirtations with yoga, walking, or some good old-fashioned calisthenics
helped us get more done.
Did you try working out for a more productive week? Tell us
about your experience in the "make a comment" box below or join in
the discussion on Friday.
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I began the challenge this morning by exercising at home. I learned I can only do two pushups. My goal for Friday: five pushups!
I find I'm not craving as much caffeine as usual today. Who wants to share a pot of green tea with me? -
As usual, I was too busy to begin the challenge this morning, but I've been getting ready to start after work today by moving around a lot during the day and lifting dumbbells to warm up. I'm going to start today by walking all around my neighborhood.
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I've made it through two days of the challenge. I'm spending 20 minutes at the gym each night, something I haven't done in the past because it sounds so brief. But it's way better to go to the gym for 20 minutes then my usual modus operandi, which is to consider spending an hour at the gym but not actually do it.
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It looks like I will make it all the way through this challenge. I've mostly been going on fast-paced walks, but yesterday I did an abbreviated version of the New York Times's 7 Minute Workouts after my walk.
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In companies that I've worked at, the ones with higher fitness levels seem to be a lot more productive. But the so-called "Wellness 2.0" that focuses a lot more on getting fit is only being touched on by a few companies.
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I began walking on the treadmill for 30-60 min at least 4 times a week about a month ago. Huge difference!! I also alternate days with push ups and sit ups. Getting better. Bought the Jawbone UP band and use the software on my phone. I set reminders to drink more water and it tells me if I've been "idle" for 30 mins. I get up and walk around our office inside and/or out depending on the weather. I encourage everyone to take the challenge.
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Exercise reduces stress and anxiety and puts me in a better frame of mind. You benefit both emotionally and physically, it's a win-win.
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Will 20 Minutes Of Exercise Make Us Happier And More Productive?
Fast CompanyResearch says exercise improves our memories and mood, but if we make time for the treadmill every day will we really be more productive? -
Hi, everyone! I’m Rachel, editorial assistant here at Fast Company and resident habit challenge expert/guinea pig. I’ll be hosting the chat with some other FastCo. editors today, and we’ll be getting started in about 10 minutes, so get your questions ready! Don't forget to brush up on this week's challenge.
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We’re all set to begin, and I’ll kick things off by introducing our editors who participated in this week’s habit challenge, exercising to be more productive. Welcome Copy Editor David Penick, Assistant News Editor Rose Pastore, Technology Editor Harry McCracken, and Associate Editor of Fast Company’s Co.Labs John Paul Titlow. Thanks for participating in today’s chat!
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Just a reminder, we challenged everyone to work out for 20 minutes each day to boost productivity.
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Let’s start things off by quickly talking about our new exercise routines. What did you guys do this week?
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I ended up alternating my routine between waking up early and exercising in the morning and exercising when I got home from work. I did between 20 and 30 minutes of light cardio with Daily Burn, which was awesome.
I also picked up some basic kickboxing moves, so if I’m ever confronted in a dark alley by a really lethargic mugger, I’m set. -
I went to the gym every evening and worked out for 20 minutes--pretty much exactly 20 minutes, so it wasn't too intimidating. I also tried to err on the side of walking instead of driving or taking the subway.
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I mostly did fast-paced walks around my neighborhood, but by Wednesday I started working in calisthenics, like push-ups, jumping jacks.
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I already run once or twice a week, but this week I made it a point to do it everyday. I'm not built for early mornings, so I squeezed this in after work. About 3 miles each time.
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I did all of my exercise in the evenings after work.
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I did a few minutes each on leg curls, biking, a stairclimber, pulldowns, etc. I mixed it up so that nothing got tedious. And I confess I was reading stuff on my phone when doing exercises which left my hands free.
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(This is of course more than 20 minutes. Door to door it's probably more like 30 or 40. )
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Good morning! Here's how I did the challenge this week: I woke up early on Monday, Thursday and Friday to do pushups, crunches, squats in my apartment. On Tuesday evening I went for a 20 minute jog. I didn't exercise on Wednesday, but I did carry a heavy shopping bag around Williamsburg.
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As we discussed in our habit challenge article, there are (at least) two reasons exercise makes us more productive. For one thing, it triggers the release of chemicals in our brains that have been shown to help reduce stress, and if you’ve ever experienced “runner’s high,” you know what that feeling is like. I think euphoric is the word used to describe it.
Additionally, researchers believe exercise brings about feelings of self-efficacy, which basically means we feel like we can accomplish stuff. This seems to be pretty important when you want to get work done, especially when it’s not the easiest task.
So tell me, what benefits to your mental and emotional state did you perceive, and did this help you become more productive? -
A couple of months ago, I discovered the 7-Minute Workout in the New York Times. These are very basic exercises, like squats and crunches, but the idea is that you can get a full workout in just seven minutes.
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Running definitely has a noticeable impact on my mood and mental clarity. That's why I prefer it. The whole "runner's high" thing is very true. For me, it has a sort of "reset button" on my brain. Melts away stress, makes it easier to focus. Doing it more certainly increased this effect for me.
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I felt like I was accomplishing something, since my usual modus operandi is to sit around planning to exercise but not getting around to it. It's the first time in eons that the gym made me feel happy rather than guilty.
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I found that I was more alert each day and had much more energy than I usually do. I also felt a craving to do more exercise by the end of each day.
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I might have noticed a more direct connection to productivity if I'd done this in the morning. I once had a job where I biked about ten miles to work, and another where I walked three miles. In both cases, i arrived at the office feeling invigorated, not exhausted.
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Before each exercise session, I felt sluggish and it was a bit of a pain to force myself to start the workout. But as soon as I finished the 20 minutes, I suddenly had the energy to clean my apartment, write thank-you notes, etc. Jogging, especially, was a huge energy and confidence boost.
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Harry, you mention that it might have been better to try this in the morning. Did anyone notice a difference between working out in the morning and in the evening?
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I'm actually happy I did it in the evening--it required only a slight adjustment to my routine. In the morning, I wake up already eager to get to work, so making room for exercise would be harder and might leave me distracted. (The nice thing about living close enough to work to walk or bike is that you need to get there in one way or another anyhow.)
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So Forbes wrote an article about exercising at your desk:
The 10 Best Exercises To Do At Your Desk
ForbesCan't get out of the office? Try these tips for a healthier, less stressful workday. -
I absolutely preferred morning exercise to evening exercise. Working out in the morning set a positive tone for the whole day. I liked feeling as though I had accomplished something important before I even got to the office. Plus, I think the extra sunlight at the start of the day was a major mood-booster, even more than the physical activity. I'm prone to getting winter blues, and I think 20 minutes of sunlight is the antidote.
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I agree with Rose's sentiment here. When I have managed to squeeze in exercise in the morning, it really does set the stage for a more productive, clearer-headed day. But alas, I am cursed with an inability to be of any use to the world whatsoever very early in the morning.
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Exercising after work calmed me down from the stress that had built up during the day. I noticed that I don't breathe enough while working, so getting outside and moving brought me back to my breath. And I slept much better each night.
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That said, the impact on mood, mental clarity and productivity was felt throughout the week, not just immediately following my runs. Running in the early evening kind of lets you hit "reset" on the day and your brain. It also makes it a lot easier to wrap up any misc work tasks in the evening, which I inevitably do most days.
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I did some of my exercise at about 10pm at the gym--which closes at 11pm--so it was part of winding down my day, which was pleasant. Bonus: The gym is way less crowded then.
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David, that's my plan as well. Not being a morning person, and yet having trouble getting into sleep mode - working out after work not only calms my nerves from the day, but gives me personal time to wind down before coming home to family. And I sleep much better.
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What Happened When We Created Daily Lists Of Our Successes
Fast CompanyWe may have just broken our addictions to stress. Here's how.
It's funny David and Harry mentioning how exercise helps wind down the day and sleep better. Just last week we talked about the benefits of having a bedtime routine. Check out the article for more on that. -
I like John's comment about hitting "reset" on the day. For me, those 20 minutes were the only time during each day that I was really able to let my mind wander. Exercise was like sleep in that way: my brain used the time to consolidate new information and solve problems.
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It seems like this conversation is pretty one-sided. We all seem to agree that exercise is, in fact, good for us.
So I think the next logical question, then, is why don’t we keep it up? -
The fact that I'd agreed to take on this Habit Challenge motivated me to actually go to the gym--I didn't want to tell you that I'd failed to live up to my promise. So one of my conclusions is that it's helpful (at least for me) to treat it as a commitment. Something that's a requirement rather than just a good idea.
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I think, for one thing, the role of self-efficacy is two-fold. We see that exercising helps us believe in ourselves more, but, as researchers from Freie University in Berlin found, you also need feelings of self-efficacy to begin working out in the first place.
That kind of seems like the potential for a vicious cycle to me.
