"I know it’s mad annoying when people tell you to exercise, and it took me about 16 medicated years to listen. I’m glad I did. It ain’t about the ass, it’s about the brain." - Lena Dunham
Raise your hand if you’ve ever cried like a child in your office when you learned on Friday afternoon that your perfectly planned summer Saturday would be spent in the office surrounded by Seamless snacks.
Life on Wall Street can leave you feeling like you have no control over your schedule.
Exercise can serve as an excellent tool to help you regain control of the little bit of life you can set aside for yourself at this point in your career. Plus, we’ve all heard of the ample benefits of exercise (e.g. anxiety reduction, health benefits, the list goes on).
Working out for just 20 minutes to an hour a day three to five times a week will allow you to disconnect, reduce anxiety and recenter yourself. Perhaps you find that working out before work works best, during lunch or for an hour right before bed. I know it seems like an impossible task, but trust me, it can be done.
Finding a class you really like often helps to help you get into a regiment. I started taking classes at my local gym at 7:30am and made a rule that if I went to bed before 1:00am I would make myself go. Later, I got addicted to Soul Cycle, and found the relaxing mantras and difficult exercises and (no cell phone rule) forced me to leave everything at the door for just 45 minutes three times a week.
Find something that works for you and stick with it.