Forget what you think you know about exercise [video]

“Exercise is a selfless pursuit, not a selfish pursuit. Take the time away from your commitments and focus on taking care of yourself first.”

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that executives should exercise more for the health benefits. The wellness of a leader should not be ignored, as it is difficult to make great decisions when physical issues obstruct clear thinking. Managing and maintaining wellness is a foundation of top performance. Exercise can not only improve overall health and help stave off disease, but it can also keep executives sharp, warding off mild cognitive impairment as they age.

But what may come as a surprise is that many are exercising the wrong way. Hours of running on the treadmill or slogging away on an elliptical offer little benefit. And, actually, it’s a waste of time executives don’t have, says Luke Carlson, a Vistage member and CEO of Discover Strength, a personal-training business that advocates strength training to promote health.

And the best way for time-pressed executives to gain those health benefits while effectively using their time is to understand what Carlson calls “essential exercise.”

Watch the full video from Luke Carlson and find out how the time-pressed CEO can cut through the mythology, get to the essentials, and achieve and maintain fitness for a lifetime.

Read more about the pursuit of wellness: Let your brain take the road less traveled.