The link between healthy employees and profit is well documented and as Arianna Huffington blogged earlier this year, “big business has learned that wellness is good business.”
Step 5 in this series – accelerate your results is all about exercise. Exercise has enormous both physical and mental benefits. It reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. It’s an important component of any health weight loss programme and is proven to boost your immune system, increase your energy levels and help relieve stress.
Yet did you know that exercise can also make you put on weight, drain your energy and disrupt your sleep patterns. Just like calories not all types of exercise are equal and if you’re exercising in the wrong way for your unique hormone imbalance you won’t get the results you want. For example, too much cardio exercise will increase your cortisol levels. Cortisol is your main stress hormone and it encourages fat storage particularly around your middle. So if you’re exercising regularly but struggling to shift excess tummy fat maybe it’s time you changed your routine.
How to burn fat
The right type of exercise to burn fat is high intensity interval training better known as HIIT. This simply involves exercising at an intensity that keeps your heart rate high and taking only short breaks between each work interval so that your heart rate doesn’t drop back down by too much. Schedule three or four 20 minute sessions into your diary each week and your work wardrobe will be comfortable again in no time.
How to beat stress
The right type of exercise to beat stress and reduce your cortisol levels is a mix of HIIT and restorative. HIIT is excellent for burning fat particularly around your tummy area but too much can stress out your body so schedule just a couple of sessions each week. Complement those with some restorative exercise such as yoga, tai chi or meditation and your working week will transform into oasis of calm.
Menopause weight gain
The right type of exercise to address menopause weight gain needs to be very structured and should encompass HIIT, restorative and resistance training. This combination will aid stress reduction and bring your cortisol levels back into alignment. It will also strengthen your joints and promotes the production of HGH (Human Growth Hormone) which aids fat burning. Combined with the correct nutrition you’ll soon notice a reduction in signs of menopause including hot flushes, moodiness and weight gain. You’ll feel like your old self again!
Exercising in the right way won’t just energise you, address hormone imbalance and burn fat it will drive up your productivity, creativity and profit at work. If this blog resonated with you then let me know by hitting that share button!
