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03.09
Get Fit
for Career Success
By Terrance Malkinson
Considerable attention has been
given to the fitness leadership demonstrated by
the first-family in what some have called the
Obama effect, where both the President and
the First Lady, despite their challenging
schedules, take time to engage in regular
exercise. With the growing understanding of the
benefits of wellness, lengthening life span, and
the increasing cost of health care, the
importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle is
transforming the lives of many citizens, from
athletic observers to athletic participants. A
healthy lifestyle results in career and personal
success.
Men and women of all ages have
been inspired to take responsibility for their
health. This is evidenced by key recreational
trends and sports participation rates from 1987
to present, found in the annual tracking study
conducted by American Sports Data Inc. [www.americansportsdata.com],
a specialist in consumer sports survey research.
Data provided by the National Sporting Goods
Association [www.nsga.org]
further confirms this trend. On the other hand,
a study published by Statistics Canada (Clark,
2008) reveals an alarming drop in sports
participation by children ages five to 14. For
those children who did participate, parental
example and influence were found to be extremely
important.
Sports equipment is a growing
business sector. Data from the National Sporting
Goods Association’s “Sporting Goods Market in
2008” report [www.nsga.org]
shows that the retail sales of athletic footwear
alone has reached $17.4 billion, an increase of
2.7 percent from 2006. In 2007, consumers spent
$1.8 billion, purchasing used sporting goods
equipment. Consumer spending on exercise
equipment grew 8.6 percent between 2004 and
2007.
Government policy makers
globally are interested in optimizing the use of
resources and promoting healthy lifestyles to
reduce national budgetary deficits resulting
from health care expenditures. Through 2017,
growth in health care spending in the United
States is projected to grow at an annual rate of
6.7 percent [www.cms.hhs.gov].
By 2017, health care spending in the United
States is expected to reach just over $4.3
trillion consuming 19.5 percent of GDP.
Increasing obesity is placing a heavy burden on
workers compensation claims (Green, 2008).
Employers are interested in
health and wellness, as physically fit
individuals are in general the most productive
employees. The research is unequivocal:
exercise is beneficial. Exercise enhances
and protects brain function, and can serve to
moderate undesirable age-related changes in
cognition, brain function and brain structure (Cotman
and Engesser-Cesar, 2002; Kramer et al, 2006;
Weinert and Timiras, 2003). Employee wellness
programs do provide a positive return on
investment, reducing absenteeism, avoiding
professional burnout, increasing job
satisfaction, discouraging workaholics, and
improving overall employee performance (Shephard,
1999; Wattles and Harris, 2003; Wells, 2008;
Mitchell, Goetzel, and Gzminkowski, 2008).
Employer financial incentives increase
participation in worksite health management
programs (Anderson et al, 2008).
How do you start? First,
determine what your objectives are. For example,
do you want to lose weight, improve your energy
level, or reduce stress? Avoid being influenced
by what others tell you. In particular, avoid
clever fitness equipment or program marketing
schemes that promise quick results. Always seek
out expert advice from authoritative books,
articles, CDs or a qualified trainer. Set up a
realistic plan. The most serious mistake you can
make is starting out too aggressively — too
often a prescription for disaster. If you start
out too fast you run the risk of becoming
discouraged, quitting, or experiencing an
injury. Take your time and progress slowly.
Fitness is a lifelong activity.
Do not be seduced into
purchasing expensive equipment. You can achieve
dramatic results with as little as a set of
dumbbells. Depending on your starting fitness
level it may take a year or longer to achieve
your objective. In time, a regular period of
exercise will become a habitual and
non-negotiable part of your life. Seek out
others who have similar goals and who will
provide encouragement and support for your
quest. Avoid those who, for selfish reasons of
their own, discourage you. Always obtain a
complete medical examination before starting a
program.
The American Council on
Exercise, America’s leading authority on fitness
and one of the largest fitness certification,
education and training organizations in the
world, recently announced the top ten fitness
trends for 2009 [www.acefitness.org/media/media_display.aspx?itemid=2543].
A good place to start your fitness program
planning is their exercise library Web site [www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/exercises.aspx?bodypart=2/].
A plethora of advice on beginner, intermediate
and advanced exercise programs, how to use
simple and complex equipment, the most effective
exercise techniques, and videos are available.
You want to train your entire
body, improving flexibility, strength and
endurance. Don't be influenced by slick
marketing campaigns that display physiques with
perfectly defined musculature. Such a physique
is usually not realistic, nor desirable. What
you should be seeking is a balance among
flexibility, strength and endurance. In reality,
the components that are most important for
career and personal success are flexibility and
endurance. Flexibility improves joint health and
reduces repetitive strain injury. Endurance will
give you the ability to function well throughout
the day. You will perform well at work, make
good decisions, and will have the energy to
enjoy time with your family and friends after
work.
Supplementing a good exercise
program is healthy nutrition. Focus on a
balanced diet with lean protein, such as fish
and chicken, whole grains, fruits and
vegetables.
At this time of serious economic
challenge, unprecedented levels of stress have
invaded the workplace. As individuals, we have
little control over most external stressors.
However, we can control our response to
workplace stress. Engaging in regular exercise
is a very effective coping strategy with the
benefit of reducing both the conscious and
unconscious stress response and its damaging
effects on both your physical and mental health.
References for further
reading
D.R. Anderson, et al., "The Role
of Financial Incentives in Driving Employee
Engagement in Health Management," ACSM’s
Health and Fitness Journal, 12(4):18-22,
2008.
W. Clark, "Kids’ Sports.
Statistics Canada," #11-008-X, 3 June 2008,
www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/11-008-XIE/2008001/article/10573-en.pdf.
C.W. Cotman and C. Engesser-Cesar,
"Exercise Enhances and Protects Brain Function,"
Exercise and Sports Sciences Reviews,
30(2):75-79, 2002.
M.A. Green, "A Weighty Issue,"
Best’s Review, 109(2):32-34, 2008.
A.F. Kramer, K.I. Erickson and
S.J. Colcombe, "Exercise, Cognition, and the
Aging Brain," Journal of Applied Physiology,
101(4):1237-1242, 2006.
S.G. Mitchell, R.Z. Goetzel and
R.J. Ozominkowski, "The Value of Worksite Health
Promotion," ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal,
12(4):23-27, 2008.
R.J. Shephard, "Do Work-Site
Exercise and Health Programs Work?" The
Physician and Sportsmedicine, 27(2):48-72,
1999.
M.G. Wattles and C. Harris, "The
Relationship Between Fitness Levels and
Employee’s Perceived Productivity, Job
Satisfaction, and Absenteeism," Journal of
Exercise Physiology, 6(1): 24-32, 2003.
B.T. Weinert and P.S. Tiniras,
"Physiology of Aging - Invited Review: Theories
of Aging," Journal of Applied Physiology,
95(4): 1706-1716, 2003.
S.J. Wells, "Finding Wellness’s
Return on Investment," HR Magazine,
53(6):75-81, 2008.
Terrance
Malkinson is a communications specialist,
business analyst and futurist. He is Vice-Chair
of the IEEE-USA Communications Committee, an
international correspondent for IEEE-USA
Today's Engineer Online, editor-in-chief of
IEEE-USA Today's Engineer Digest, and
associate editor for IEEE Canadian Review.
He was an elected Senator of the University of
Calgary and an elected Governor of the IEEE
Engineering Management Society as well as an
elected Administrative Committee member of the
IEEE Professional Communication Society. He has
been the editor of several IEEE conference
proceedings, and past editor of IEEE
Engineering Management. He is the author of
more than 360 publications, and is an
accomplished triathlete. His career path
includes being an accomplished technical
supervisor and medical researcher at the
University of Calgary a business proposal
manager for the General Electric Company, and an
associate for Sears Canada Inc. Currently, he is
with the School of Health and Public
Safety/Applied Research and Innovation Services
at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary Canada.
The author is
grateful to the professional support of the
Haskayne School of Business Library at the
University of Calgary. He can be reached at
todaysengineer@ieee.org.
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