Chris Judd reflects on the workout habits of 3 highly successful people

I have a friend, Ed, who’s uber-disciplined. He’s one of those guys who’s up at 5 o’clock in the morning punching it out, just about every weekday. The thing is, he pushes himself hard – but not so hard that he’s going to get injured.

Ed has been able to find that all-important balance between knowing his limits, and breaking them. There’s no real trick to it – but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy. It’s natural to want to push yourself, but if you shoot for too much, you’re going to get injured. Before you know it, a six-week injury turns into a six-month hiatus. Trust me, it’s easier to stay on the horse if you never get off in the first place.

A lot of people see exercise as an all-or-nothing situation, which is understandable. But it’s important to remember that your health isn’t a competition. When it comes to working out, it’s not about success or failure. There are already enough areas in your life where you’re going to feel that way, so you don’t need that added pressure.

A lot of people struggle with scheduling their lives. People’s working lives are now very different to what they were like a generation ago. Whether you have predictable working hours, or unpredictable schedules, there are opportunities and challenges that both pose, you need to find something that works for your particular set of circumstances.

Take my wife Bec, for example. She works in the media and wears a number of other professional hats, so no two days are alike for her. In order to make sure she’s getting her exercise in, she schedules it as the backbone of her week. That way, no matter how much of her schedule gets swallowed up by meetings, she’s got that four-or-five-hour block locked in. She’s fortunate to be able to do that, but shes still got to commit to making the most of that good fortune.

The social component of exercise is also a big driver for her. She looks for fun to help her find the motivation to work out. Bec plays a lot of tennis because she knows that she’ll lose interest if she’s not enjoying what she’s doing. The added benefit is that there’s social accountability there – she’s committed to turning up because other people are relying on her.

You’ve got to find what suits you best and not be restricted by the expectations of others. What works perfectly for them may not be okay for you.

My mate Jay is the director of his own company. It’s a stressful job, and he’s in the office early every morning. But Jay always takes a break to exercise at 11am. By then, he’s done a good chunk of work and he’s starting to be a little unproductive. So, he gets in a workout, comes back, knocks out another hour of work, then takes a quick lunch.

Jay has told me that he notices that on the days he can’t manage a workout, his energy really flags in the afternoon. His routine isn’t just good for his health, it benefits his career as well – even if it’s a little unorthodox.

When it comes to health, forget about convention. It all comes down to creating habits that you feel comfortable with.

Former Australian Rules footballer Chris Judd is familiar with how to get your heart rate up and push yourself physically. Twice winner of the prestigious Brownlow Medal, Chris is an honoured sportsman and father to four children, Oscar, Billie, Tom and Darcy. The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.