As small business owners, it’s easy to convince ourselves that we’re too busy for certain activities. One of the first things to get dropped from the schedule is exercise. It seems like a time luxury that we can ill afford so we get our heart rates up by taking difficult phone calls and expend our energy through all-nighters in the office.

Are we really that busy though? And is exercise something that has no relation to how we run our businesses? With us on this episode of your favourite small business podcast is Chris Brogan who has built a media empire, written eight bestsellers and created one of the most popular business podcasts all while making time to keep his mind and body in check with regular exercise.

A lot of people, especially small business owners, forget that one of the main benefits of regular exercise is the mental clarity that comes with it. We need that to be able to focus all of our concentration on tricky problems that we experience at work. Without exercise both our bodies and our minds can become lethargic, irritable and lacking in the spirit and vigour we need to succeed in life and business.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast:

How can we achieve focus, mental clarity and health benefits through exercise while running a small business?

About Chris:

Chris Brogan is a New York Times bestselling author, CEO of Owner Media Group, renowned public speaker and social media marketing guru. His books, sites and seminars have helped thousands of entrepreneurs and small business owners around the world thrive in their industries. He spoken for or consulted with some global brands such as Microsoft, Google, Disney, Coca-Cola, Sony and Cisco.

Chris is also the host of the hugely popular podcast, The Owner’s Mind. If that doesn’t sound busy enough, he’s also regularly in the gym. Chris is here with us on the number one small business podcast to discuss some of the benefits that small business owners can gain from regular exercise.

Actionable Tips:

* Allow no excuses. If you start letting excuses in for the gym, you’ll let excuses affect different areas of your life and business. Being disciplined at the gym is important as it’s a microcosm of life.

* Revisit what you eat. Take a photo of everything that you eat or drink for a week and you’ll probably find what you need to change.

* Get Lifting. Start off slow and don’t worry about the numbers. Just add 5 lbs a week to keep the resistance up. Learn proper form from a friend and focus with every rep.

Top Quotes:

* “Keeping a regimen in place has been really good for everything I do professionally because of everything that connects with it.”

* “I have a lot more strength, a lot more clarity of mind and lot more endurance to go through a long day without feeling especially tired.”

* “When people say that they can’t find time, what they’re really saying is that they’ve allocated that time to something else.”

* “There’s no virtue in having gone to the gym but there there’s definitely sin in having not lived to my plan.”

* “If you work to eliminate all excuses, all the time, you’ll find that there are a lot less reasons to not go to the gym.”

Chris’ Links:

* Chris’ Site (http://chrisbrogan.com/)

* Chris’ Twitter (https://twitter.com/chrisbrogan)

Key Timestamps:

* 01:06 Challenged Issue

* 01:34 Chris’ Introduction

* 03:16 The Business Benefits of Exercise

* 05:08 What’s the Best Workout?

* 06:40 A Typical Routine

* 08:33 Seeing a Project Through

* 09:37 Nutrition

* 12:19 Supplements