Transition provides a great opportunity for many changes and I am talking about good changes. A great opportunity to find some balance, and one area to enhance, is exercise. We owe it to ourselves and the ones who love us to get involved. I have personally benefited from exercise without a coach, but would without hesitation recommend the use of one. Before doing so I would ask that you do your due diligence and check references and make sure, if you are a bit more mature, to get one who has experience working with your age group. I found the younger coaches are little bit too zealous with people middle-aged and above.

My job is, as is many of yours and also for those in transition, extremely stressful. The benefits below, I have personally experienced. They have come with consistency balanced with intensity.

• A much better attitude
• Increased confidence
• Higher energy
• Better health
• Sharper focus
• Better self-image
• A greater ability to work through the dips/valleys that we all experience.

Of course we all know the positive outcomes when we produce endorphins through exercise. And, of course, for the older group like myself, a much more youthful look and feel.

We, as a company, have seen the benefit of a consistent exercise program with many of our clients. We are so committed to this component of transition that I have often thought of making it part of our program. Perhaps through hiring an experienced coach to have a one-on-one discussion with each of our clients to help them develop an appropriate program for their transition. We are still giving this serious consideration. Another observation since I started this business in 1988, is that I have seen a real change in the image of C-level individuals. That image today is much more health oriented and image oriented. Right or wrong, it has started to play a great role in candidate selection.

Exercise, like everything else, requires balance. Too little and the benefits are limited too much and lead to possible injury. I also believe it must be a combination of cardio and weight lifting. As we get older, it is a known fact that we lose muscle mass which impacts our metabolism rate which can help us control our weight. Also please do not forget, if there are medical issues, see a doctor before you begin any regular exercise program.