In this personal story, our Program Lead Christian Diener gives us interesting food for thought on how to focus on ourselves and the time in which we are physically active.

Staying physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy is not hard, but it is nothing that simply falls into your chest. In the end, it is absolutely worth it.

Before we start, we should better qualify what this “Physical well-being” is. Presumably, you are reading this post while sitting on your office chair. Probably you will, just for short walks to the bathroom or a break during lunch, not leave this place for a while. Maybe not for the next eight hours. Most likely you sit there, in a not healthy body position even if you have a table that is easily changeable in its height. But let us be honest. That is our new normal. Not every apartment, flat, or house that you are living in provides all the necessities that would be required to live an ergonomically-perfect life. Even though our beloved MB.io provides us with so many assets, perks, and benefits that support us.

for at least a bit of activation every day. But don’t be scared. Activation absolutely doesn’t mean that you have to run a marathon or ride one stage of the Tour de France day after day. Nobody, especially if you are having a family or tough times at work, has that much time. As well it is nothing that is, for non-professionals, very healthy.

When we talk about well-being, I usually start with a small story about two people talking about their latest exercises: “Today I ran 10km in only one hour today. Isn’t that great?”, said the one person. “10km? Wow, that is impressive!”, said the other person. “But, it took me just 6km to run one hour!”. Did you spot the difference? Well, people tend to see the factor “distance” as their constant variable in doing sports. But running, hiking, or walking a certain distance is not easy. Therefore first change your way of thinking and let distance become a flexible variable and focus on yourself as well as the time you spend being active.

This could be easily achieved, by implementing regular walks into your day. You could either simply do a slight morning walk before starting the working day, or have regular walks and talks (also remotely) with your colleagues when a laptop, whiteboard, or table is not necessarily needed. This kind of activity is already enough and it must not be long.

Maybe 30 minutes?

what’s in for in me?

Well, daily activation of your body helps you to get fit in an overall manner. It is good for your heart because your heart rate increases slightly and it probably reduces your blood pressure. It is good for your lungs. Because these buddies need to work more than usual as well. You will feel it immediately when walking up stairs. As well your muscles, especially in the legs, will thank you as well. At the end more important than the physical is mental fitness. Getting outdoors day by day is good for your brain. It helps you concentrate better, focus more and let you memorize things easier. The fresh air, the different perspective, and pure movement make you relax which helps you get yourself away from everything you’ve been doing before. Last but not least it reduces stress. The stress hormone cortisol is reduced massively which is as well a very important factor. For your mental fitness but then also your physical health. That is how the circle is closed in the end.