While I’ve been away for long stretches at a time lately on a project, I’ve had to look at ways of increasing my energy (naturally of course!) during the day to sustain longer working hours in the office.

In recent conversations too with other freelance designers, there seemed to be a common element among those who could work longer hours or boost their productivity within their set working timeframe.

The answer? Exercise.

One designer went as far to say he felt “super charged” after just 20-30 minutes in the morning. It is well known that large companies, corporations and multinationals often offer employees gym memberships or even have a gym on location. If you’re working for yourself though, gym memberships can be a real stretch on the budget and there’s a likelihood that after the first month of use you might tire of the trip to the gym and watch the remainder of your membership slip away.

I’ve felt the benefits of it myself - getting up a half hour earlier in the morning to grab a brisk walk or lift some weights at home, anything that gets the blood pumping and energy starting to flow. The early morning exercise often helps settle into the morning work routine that bit easier. There’s no settling down with emails and blogs and constantly sticking the kettle on - it’s just straight into the work, churning more of it out in the process.

Why not try it for yourself? Wake up 30 minutes earlier in the morning and go for a walk, do some stretches, lift some dumbells, hop up on your bike… you’ll be surprised at the difference it can make to your working life.

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