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A healthy lifestyle and a healthy dosage of outdoors have a lot of unfathomable advantages. It keeps one motivated, punctual, active and inspires new ideas and creativity.  One puts in more concentrated efforts and active time and mind to work which ultimately helps in the growth of an individual and the organization. These positive vibes end up inspiring colleagues to follow in the same footsteps and become leaders.

According to Yashish Dahiya, Founder and CEO of PolicyBazaar said, “Fitness is extremely important for the overall growth of an individual. If you want to fare well as a professional, you need to be high on energy and have a positive attitude in life and towards your work. Sports teach you this and teach you to never give up. This attitude is crucial for the growth of an organization. There will also be challenges and both the employer and employee need to have perseverance and optimism to sail through difficult times. Sports teaches you all this and this is the reason why most sportspersons have a great career outside their sport.”

Mr. Dahiya is a triathlete who completed his first Ironman on August 20^th, 2016 in Kalmar, Sweden. “I feel the amount of hard work, dedication and perseverance that I have put in my sports, be it swimming or anything else, has taught me to be all the more dedicated to my company. Being a sportsperson, I am always high on energy,” he added.

Mr. Dahiya says it is always good to interact with your employees who are going through difficult times themselves and helps by encouraging them to take up a fit lifestyle. “We organize sports meets for our employees annually and also encourage them to participate in different sporting events in and around the city. Apart from these, we also have fitness trainers onboard to drive our employees to take care of their personal fitness and nutrition goals.”

66-year-old Sushil Kumar Bhasin, who works at Bhasinsoft India Ltd. based in Bangalore, India, told The Outdoor Journal in an interview, “Exercising keeps body and mind in good sync/health, hence enhancing enjoyment of everyday life. A fit and healthy body keeps mind alert. A healthy person can better input physically and mentally for a greater error-free output.” Mr. Bhasin started his fitness regime quite late in his life, suffering from backache for nearly a decade. In the last few years, he has finished six full marathons, ten half marathons and five ultra races.

On the same lines, the founder of an Indian fitness and lifestyle app Fitso, Saurabh Aggarwal, said, “Sports has helped me in a way that it has made me optimistic and carry on till the end. It has given me a ‘never say die’ attitude. It has made me learn how to carry my team along and to take care of everyone, similar to any mountain expedition. One step at a time and passing through the low times is of the utmost importance as it is a part of the game.”

The career of Apoorva Prasad, Founder and CEO at The Outdoor Journal, has been oriented around the fact that he is a climber and outdoors person. He said, “As human beings, we have not evolved to lead sedentary lifestyles. We did not evolve to sit on a chair, in front of a computer, for eight to ten hours a day. We have evolved to climb trees, run, hunt, fish, and sleep outdoors. It’s very recent in the history of human evolution that we lead such inactive lives. “Sport” is simply a way for us to find a balance with who we truly are, as human beings, with the responsibilities and duties that modern society has made for us.”

Mr. Prasad became a journalist because he wanted to continue to climb and write/shoot about it. “My life has actually been oriented around my decisions based on a certain sport and lifestyle. Without this piste that I followed from my early 20s, I couldn’t have created The Outdoor Journal today.”

Do yourself and your work life a favor by adopting a fitness regime and exploring the outdoors more often.

Feature Image: The Outdoor Journal Founder and CEO Apoorva Prasad climbing in Lahaul/ Image © Zubin Atre/ The Outdoor Journal