Clearly there is a payoff for both employees and employers who encourage and support fitness and health. There’s plenty of evidence to prove healthy people are more productive. But amid all the body building, it’s just as important to exercise your mind.

To keep your brain, as well as your body, in shape you should:

Read constantly, especially about how you can improve your skills, and then follow them through.

Spend some time each day on the treadmill of routine activities. Getting them off your mind is like shedding unwanted pounds. You’ll feel better and the tougher, more complex tasks won’t seem so daunting.

Meet or talk regularly with others to discuss new ideas and career plans. You may need a few mentors and coaches to help you reach your goals.
Treat decision-making as you’re an athlete trying to see how many sit-ups you can do. Start with a few that are easy, then work your way up to the more difficult ones. In time, you’ll have the stamina to handle many decisions with little effort.
View problem solving as an exercise bike that lets you gradually increase pedal pressure. Gets the kinks out with some straightaway easy problems, so you’ll be able to deal with the more uphill ones.

Think yourself as a swimmer, but don’t specialize in just one stroke. In today’s workplace, you must prepare for the possibility that you’ll change careers several times – a freestyle relay event.

Move around within your organization whenever you can to gain more skills that could lead to promotion.

Give your mind the same break you would your body when exhausted. Set aside a little time each day to let your brain bask in a mental sauna. This will prepare you for future hard exercise.