The ‘fitpreneur’

There are many variations of the word ‘entrepreneur‘: if you work alone, you can call yourself a ‘solopreneur‘; if you’re a mother in charge of your own business you’re a ‘mumpreneur’; and we’ve even heard of the expression ‘olderpreneur’ for, obviously, older people setting up in business.

And now there’s a new term on the block, the ‘fitpreneur’. But this isn’t to do with personal trainers, rather it’s to describe entrepreneurs who recognise how important their personal fitness is to the success of their enterprise.

It’s easy to understand why many entrepreneurs allow their fitness levels to drop when they set up their own business. They spend long hours trying to make it work and, when they’re not working, they’re thinking about what they need to do, or feeling guilty that they’re not doing anything.

They not only tend to sit for long stretches of time, not take breaks or do much exercise, they are also more likely to have a poor diet – if you don’t think you’ve got time to take a break, when you’re hungry you’ll probably just nip out and buy a prepared sandwich or ready meal, most of which will contain too much sugar, salt and fat.

You’ve also got to factor in the fact that if you own your own business – especially in the early days – you’ll be constantly thinking about it, and maybe worrying about how to get your next client, etc, which means that a good night’s sleep is probably just a memory.

All these things in combination will simply exacerbate your fitness problems.

It’s all in the mind

When it comes to well-being, the mental health of an entrepreneur is crucial. Yet an American study discovered that nearly three-quarters of the entrepreneurs questioned reported mental health concerns, with 49% of them having had one or more “lifetime mental health conditions”, a far greater number than in the comparison group.

Keeping fit isn’t just about exercise. The right attitude is just as important. The American Heart Association, for instance, has found that Transcendental Meditation (TM) helps reduce blood pressure, which in turn reduces the risk of heart attack and strokes. TM also reduces stress, and allows the brain to process information which increases creativity and the ability to learn.

An alternative to TM is mindfulness, which also increases productivity, creativity and resilience. Scientific studies have shown that mindfulness has a positive effect on the immune system, making it a crucial part of the fitpreneur’s daily routine.

Make your own health and well-being part of your business plan

There is more than enough scientific evidence showing that taking exercise and eating a healthy, balanced diet leads to health, happiness, productivity and an improved ROI to prove that looking after yourself is vital to your business success. So make sure you make time in your calendar to make it happen.