There are habits that help you form many other habits. These are called keystone habits.
And then some habits help you form those keystone habits. I like to call them the superhabits.
Exercise is one such superhabit.
Describing all the benefits of exercise is beyond the scope of this article but let’s take a look at how exercising can improve your focus.
Physical activity immediately boosts dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels in our brains - All of these fancy words represent hormones/neurotransmitters that improve our focus and attention.
Exercise can be quite powerful for ADHD and works in a manner similar to the medications - Adderall and Ritalin.
In addition to the short-term impact, in the long run, regular exercise changes your brain to improve its memory, retention, and ability to think better.
But how do you find time for exercise?
Like how you find time to eat, watch Netflix or go out with friends. By making it a rule rather than a choice.
Here are some minor tweaks that can help you get there
Start small if you aren’t regular at all. Go for light jogs every day, to begin with
Set the exact time every day - This one has turned things around for me. I still have a long way to go, but having a fixed time for exercise has been a great help.
Something is better than nothing - When traveling, it’s very easy to give up. However, I’ve found that walking for 20 mins or doing a couple of sets of push-ups is way better than doing nothing. It creates/sustains your momentum.
Maintain a log - Something that will make you feel guilty if you miss regularly.
I don’t think you need an article to tell you that exercise is important, but maybe this will nudge you enough.
Podcast episode of the week
Slightly unrelated to this topic, but I loved Tim Ferris’ interview with Louis Van Ahn - The founder of Duolingo.
His journey of building Duolingo and getting it to where it is today is fantastic.
He touches upon various aspects of building a business, and yes - Exercise has a prominent mention here. A great watch/listen.
Have a focused week ahead. See you next Sunday!