Training advice for the Fit Pros

The mental exhaustion-exercise paradox for a hard working professional

This may seem counter-intuitive but the brains ability to function after a long day of mentally depleting tasks can actually be improved by adding in physical activity! Physical activity has been proven to alleviate symptoms of mental stress and to improve overall well-being. 

Here a some ideas as to how mental fatigue can affect you in the workplace and how you could overcome these barriers through engaging in physical activity meaning a happier and healthier you! first lets look at mental fatigue and its impact on the brain 

Mental Fatigue and Its Impact on the Brain:

Working at an office every day dealing with mentally taxing tasks has a serious impact on your brain. It will often lead to a decrease in mental sharpness and focus. The impact of this can lead to a decrease in your performance at work, exercising can counteract this drain on your resources because there is a paradox in that using physical training can actually revitalise your ability to concentrate! If you are suffering from mental fatigue of being glued to your desk all day then perhaps what you need is some more physical activity throughout the day allowing your body and brain to recover which will make this mental fatigue something that you can tackle by becoming physically stronger 

Neurotransmitter Dynamics:

If you want to get even more technical about the mental fatigue that you experience at work then just take a moment to look at what is affected by a heavy mental workload! Your neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine take a huge hit when you over stress the system as a result of all the mental excursion. The prolonged exertion can cause an imbalance or depletion of these transmitters leading to feeling of tiredness and lack of motivation. How much of an impact will this have on your work? 

Clients who work with me frequently find that taking mini breaks in their work day to fit in some physical activity can help their body take a break but also helps to boost the hormones that affect your mood! As you take breaks and get active then your motivation increases and the quality of your work too! 

The Psychological Aspect:

It is hard not to think that if your work is going to be affected by a demanding workload that the stress and mental exhaustion will also make it harder to be interested in activities that require effort such as exercise. There mere decision to choose to exercise can feel overwhelming at times, however, by acknowledging that this is going to become a challenge you can put in place opportunities for you to catch you breath, press pause and add in exercise which will become second nature for you to do and as a result the addition of exercise in your daily routine will help you to cope with the mental exhaustion you deal with in the work place. 

The Cycle of Inactivity:

If you don’t add exercise into your routine then the lack of it can actually have an adverse impact on your health because whilst actually exercising can boost your mood, energy levels and cognitive function avoiding it can lead to worse levels of fatigue. It is a vicious cycle that is easy to get into and is why professionals struggle to get active. This is where hiring me can really help because not only do I help craft your route to a better you specifically but I can also become your accountability factor, here to help keep you active and help you break this cycle of inactivity. Something my clients also do is that they team up with their friends and start a small community who help drive each other to stay active. I have programs which are tailored to groups and it can also help to split the cost of training. Imagine the benefits of turning up at work knowing that yourself and your colleagues are in a great frame of mind having restored themselves through exercise because you led the way, what a way to build morale within your team! Your team could become the best performing one within the organisation leading to more promotions and benefits in your career!b What a win, and all because you broke the daunting task of neglecting to exercise!