Exercise = Success

A study at Ball State University, located in Munic, Indiana, surveyed 336 small business owners who regularly exercised to see if there was a correlation between exercise and business success.

They found that exercise, specifically running, had a positive effect on sales volume, external goals, and internal goals.

By external goals, they meant that the entrepreneur had goals of wealth and family security. Having internal goals means having goals towards recognition, challenge, accomplishment, and independence. The professors who conducted this survey, Mike Goldsby and Donald Kuratko, suggest that if you are a business person who doesn't run, you should start.

It doesn't surprise me that this survey found runners to have such goals and business success. Runners are very goal oriented, often trying to beat a previous time or milage, pushing themselves to be their best physically.

The survey didn't include pilates, just running and weight lifting, but I believe pilates to be similar to running as far as the goals behind it. Like running, pilates is about satisfying personal goals, not necessarily about competition. Most people who take pilates lessons strive to be their best, both at the exercises and taking the principles of pilates outside of the studio and into their daily life.

The very theory behind pilates is- Work from your center. Many creative and successful people do pilates, and I really believe its because the message of pilates matches the message already in their own heads- work from your true center and you are capable of anything! "Muscle through" the pilates class, (or the real world) and the results are not so satisfying.

Obviously, you can be a goal-oriented business owner and not run or do pilates. But what if you did? If you are looking to become more focused, clear headed, and energized, of I suggest running and pilates!