Commit to exercise for a more productive workday.
by Bob Kronemyer
For busy executives who would like to commit to a regular fitness program but don't feel they have the time, Thor Thordarson may be all the inspiration they need.
As president and CEO of IU Health LaPorte Hospital, the 47-year-old Thordarson has been participating in triathlons (swim, bike and run) since 2003. “My friends talked me into doing a triathlon here in LaPorte that the Y sponsors every year,” he recalls.
Typically, Thordarson devotes two to three sessions a week to each of the three components of a triathlon, with each session lasting about one hour, for a weekly workout in the range of 10 to 15 hours. He squeezes in activity “any time and any day of the week I can,” starting as early as 5:30 in the morning. “I have also been known to run outside in winter at 11 o'clock at night,” he says. Longer sessions are on the weekends.
Working out, though, comes at a cost. “You only have so many hours in a week, and only so many of those hours represent discretionary time,” Thordarson notes. “So I may give up television viewing and attending other sports events. I rarely watch football or basketball on TV.”
As for encouraging fellow executives to take the plunge in fitness, “any time is better than nothing,” stresses Thordarson, who freely admits that there are periods when he devotes absolutely no time to his training regimen. “There are times when you just don't have any time, except for work, and you're exhausted when you come home. Even if you just get out and walk or bike for a half an hour, that's better than not doing anything.”
Thordarson, who enjoys biking the most, is a firm believer in the three “Fs” of exercise: fitness, fun and friends (teaming up with others can be a great motivator). “You always have time for something that's a priority, so if you find you don't have the time, you haven't made it a priority,” he observes.
Lori Mazick, general manager at Pinnacle Athletic Club in Mishawaka, says most of the executives she knows who are successful in intertwining fitness into their schedule work with a personal trainer. “There is something about having a scheduled appointment. This is how their minds function. If they know it's a scheduled appointment, they are more committed to it,” says Mazick, who is a personal trainer herself.
As for how many times a week an executive should commit to fitness and for how long per session, it depends largely on individual fitness goals. “Those who are using it strictly as a mental booster and kind of a stress release can often get by with 30 minutes a day, three times a week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday – perhaps during a lunch hour,” Mazick conveys. “But those who are really committed do it every day, Monday through Friday.”
Another motivator is to combine sports with work, such as first playing tennis or racquetball with outside executives, followed by gathering in the member's lounge at Pinnacle Athletic Club to discuss contracts and other business matters for up to 90 minutes.
Similarly, executives who travel need to determine in advance if the hotel has a well-equipped fitness center or an arrangement with a nearby club. “You still want to meet that fitness requirement on the road,” Mazick says. “Most of the hotels in our town purchase guest passes from us.”
Mazick says it is important for an executive to recognize that “when you are the busiest and the most stressed is when you really need to stay focused on your fitness. It's that one piece that will get you through those stressful times.”
Time management is key, according to Andrew Wallen, president and CEO of Integrated Movement, a personal training and sports performance studio in Valparaiso. “The ones who really want to work out are able to find time, whether it's first thing in the morning or on their lunch hour or after work,” he says. “They can also come here and just put their brain on cruise control. We instruct them and put them through their program, so they don't really have to think.”
A typical executive workout at Integrated Movement is 30 to 45 minutes, encompassing strength and flexibility training. Personal goals range from weight loss to staying in shape. Being highly efficient in the short time allotted mirrors the efficiency executives expect in business, so that adds to their commitment. “Most executives at minimum work out with a personal trainer twice a week,” says Wallen, who is also a personal trainer. “Working with a personal trainer sort of removes that guesswork of how many sets or repetitions or what exercises to do today, especially in a period of high stress when it's hard for an executive to focus.”
Wallen also points out that when building a business, executives obviously ponder the future of that business. “Likewise, you need to keep the future of your body in mind. The more you neglect your body through the years, the harder it is to get back where you want to be.”
Brad Toothaker, president and CEO at CB Richard Ellis/Bradley, a broad-based commercial real-estate services firm in South Bend, has been swimming since he was a youngster and swam competitively during college at the University of California, Los Angeles. Today, the 42-year-old executive commits to typically two to three times a week at the pool at Memorial Health & Lifestyle Center in downtown South Bend, mostly at 5:45 in the morning for a full hour. “I used to do all the strokes and my specialty was butterfly, but now I pretty much just do freestyle,” he says.
Toothaker says committing to swimming as an executive and a father is challenging. “Do the best you can. Shoot for four or five times a week, although you will probably average less than that,” he advises. In addition, “not everyone's a morning person. Find the time that you know you can commit most frequently to. For me, it's before things start happening in the day. However, other people are at their best after dinner.”
Toothaker, who also snow skis and water skis, believes that the more someone stays disciplined with exercise, the more disciplined that person is in life. “It helps get your brain running at a better pace and you tend to eat and sleep better. Everything works better when you're consistently exercising.” Peer pressure of working out with another person is also helpful, says Toothaker, who swims with other executives.
“Commit to it and make it happen,” Toothaker urges. “Exercise is not just a lifestyle, it's life.”
“Because executives are very schedule-oriented, it is best that they schedule their fitness routines, their stress-management classes such as yoga and their massages for wellness as all part of their workday,” says Debi Pillarella, a personal trainer and the program manager at the Community Hospital Fitness Pointe in Munster. This can be difficult, she concedes, because “it seems as though executives really never have an off switch.”
One successful strategy is to work out early in the morning, before turning on any electronic device or computer or making any phone calls. “You don't want the day to get away from you,” says Pillarella, who notes that many executives are literally waiting in their cars for the fitness center to open its doors at 5 a.m. “By 5:30 or 5:45, they need to be out the door and on their way.”
Pillarella and her staff encourage executives to work out as often as they can. “Anything is better than nothing,” she echoes. “For most executives, the most important thing for them is to deal with their level of stress. We know that cortisol, which is a hormone released during stressful times and that increases stress, has serious ramifications on overall health and mental acuity.” Exercise, on the other hand, relieves stress by increasing the production of endorphins (the happy hormone).
The goal is not necessarily to be buff and run the marathon, but rather maintain a quality of life to be able to work effectively and relatively stress-free. “You want to start the day with a clean, fresh slate,” says Pillarella, a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise (ACE).
Some executives work out for only 15 to 20 minutes because they then get a page and have to leave the premises. On the other end of the spectrum, “if you tell an executive you need an hour a day, six days a week, it's not just realistic for him,” Pillarella explains. “It's always better to start small. You can always add on.” Independent of a fitness center, executives can stretch and take a walk during lunch break.
The buddy system is a way for many executives to commit to fitness. “Each understands the other's lifestyle,” Pillarella says. “For the busy business person, today only comes once, so if what you can do today can benefit your tomorrow, make that investment in yourself as you would in your business.”
BodyMax Fitness Centers, with locations in Hobart, Merrillville and Munster, offers an express training session. “Executives can get a fantastic workout in 30 minutes,” says President Martin Shreibak. Add in a shower and a smoothie, and most people can leave the premises within an hour.
Most executives at BodyMax build up a sweat three days a week, mostly during lunch or as early as 5:30 in the morning. Power Plate (which employs vibration technology) and the multifunctional TRX are two popular workout stations. “Studies show that having a great workout makes people more productive, so you've got to find the time,” Shreibak conveys. “You have to prioritize. It's has to become part of your lifestyle.”
Shreibak believes committing to fitness is “essential” to an executive's success and it helps a person become more focused. “It's much better than having to caffeinate yourself to get through the day.”
