Whew, sorry, I’m a little out of breath from working out. I figured out a long time ago that critical to my ability to effectively lead and maintain the necessary stamina is proper balance. In the words of Dr. Kenneth Cooper, author of The Aerobics Program For Total Well-Being and founder of the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, TX; “ The human body is just another part of the universe meant to be in perfect balance. We have been constructed in such a way that we need just so much exercise, no more or no less. We need just the right amount of sleep and relief from the tensions and stress of daily life.”

There are three main areas of balance that we have some control over: Physical, Mental and Emotional. If any of these three areas are not actively addressed in our personal lives, then there is a lack of balance, leading to a lack of personal well-being. Personal well-being is essential to one’s ability to be an effective leader. This article will concentrate on the physical aspects of balance. Mental and Emotional balance will be covered in more depth later as part of a three part series.

Ask yourself, when it’s time to plan your day, is physical exercise part of a required personal regimen or simply an afterthought? “I wanted to workout but I ran out of time” or “I planned to exercise on this business trip but I didn’t pack any workout clothes.” These are examples of individuals who have not yet elevated physical exercise to that level of priority where it becomes part of their lifestyle. Until that threshold is reached, there can be no realistic expectation of maintaining a consistent exercise program.

Jack Welch once said on the subject of balance, “Balance is individual, personal for every person.” This statement is especially applicable to exercise. For someone who has spent little or no time exercising during their lives but is resolved to start, the initial program needs to be conservative in nature and preferably under the care of a physician. But for the rest of us that just need to establish a more consistent routine, shoot for a minimum of three physical events per week of 20-30 min duration. Concentrate on activities which you prefer to increase the likelihood that you’ll establish a pattern of behavior that you enjoy, rather than “the dreaded event.!!!” Combine aerobic with anaerobic exercise whenever possible, but if time is a factor make aerobic conditioning the priority. Aerobic conditioning builds and maintains a strong cardiovascular system and burns calories more efficiently for proper weight control. Finally, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk those few blocks instead of driving or taking a cab. These small modifications in behavior dramatically increase the total amount of physical exercise that is critical to maintaining proper balance.

The necessary counterpart to physical balance is proper nutrition. Whether dining in or out, planning ahead is the key. There is a wealth of information available on the subject, almost to the point of being overwhelming. Stick to the basics: Everything in moderation; avoid the fatty foods and processed sugars. Include ample quantities of fruits and vegetables in your diet and use supplements as required. One book which I highly recommend is Dr. Scott Connelly’s Body RX. It is the result of exhaustive research and breaks down food types into green, yellow and red categories, green being good and red are the foods to be avoided. Dr. Connelly also maintains that eating small amounts of food more often during the day is beneficial, which could fit nicely into a busy work schedule.

On our next installment we’ll concentrate on the Mental aspects of balance. Until then, don’t forget to exercise often, improve upon your eating habits and soon you’ll start to enjoy the benefits of proper balance in your life.

Also, please don’t start an exercise program without first consulting your physician.

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