Putting exercise into the equation: How to establish a healthy PR lifestyle

Ever since I retired from track and field five years ago, I have noticed that exercise is one of the activities that helps me with both research and teaching projects.  Some of my best ideas came from when I was either brainstorming with a friend while working out or out for a long run.  Exercise has other benefits to it as well for PR professionals – as was discussed and shared on the PR for Breakfast website.

Of course, when we are living in a day where we have to work harder and the blend between professional and our personal lives are diminishing with the integration of new emerging media.  So, how can we strategically use exercise to help us in our work – both research and in practice?  Here are some of my tips:

• Take exercise classes to be added to your daily schedule and routine:  This is what I started doing when I was at Tennessee and I am continuing to do so here at Louisville (found a great gym called Louisville Athletic Club – great classes and staff members – really have enjoyed it so far!),.  What is great about exercise classes is the fact that you know exactly what time you will be working out – so you don’t have to worry about it.  Plus, you know you can work hard and then reward yourself with exercise.  I personally like spin and kickboxing classes – they are great for conditioning! 🙂
• View exercise like a systematic equation: In research,we deal a lot of with models, theories, and methods.  If we take the same perspective with exercise, we can state that if we have the right exercises that are conducted over time consistently while having an healthy eating routine, we will have the perfect model for a healthy lifestyle.
• Testing your limits with new exercises:  Challenging yourself  to new exercises and sports will test you not only in your physical abilities,but also mental abilities.  You will learn some good lessons on how to stay focused and motivated to accomplish a goal – whether it is running a 5k or participating in a bootcamp class.  After finishing, you will feel rewarded and you will know you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to physically and mentally.
• Form research teams / workout buddies:  Like research teams – these individuals are who are interested in the same subject and have skills to offer to the team. The same thing goes with workouts – see if you can all get together and spend an hour doing something you all like.  Whether it is working out at the gym or going on a hike – or doing a race together – these are all fun group activities.  I had the chance to work out with several of my friends at Tennessee at various exercise classes where we got to work out but also talk about projects and other opportunities.
• Do what you love and enjoy – both in research and exercise:  Look for activities that get you outdoors or get you a great workout.  The same goes with research and working on project – look at what you enjoy and in what area – and work with people who are interested in the same way.  Research and working out both fall into this category.  For example, I love doing exercise classes and weightlifting, but I find running around the track to be boring – so I realized that I should do the conditioning activities I enjoy.  The same goes with research – I am always interested in looking at new projects with PR, social media, and crisis.  Do what you like and are passionate about. 🙂
• Burnouts – not just for workouts but also for research + teaching:  Dad and I used to do some exercises in weightlifting where we would work to exhaustion and these were called burnouts.  The little bit of effort at the end to achieve a personal best at a specific weight will offer you more benefits than just doing a set of reps.  The same applies to research – the extra few minutes you spend reviewing a paper or doing a little bit extra in preparation for a conference paper will make the ultimate difference.  Working hard means you will win easy.