Wearing Your Fitness Like a Badge — Without Letting It Become a Distraction
I’m on day three of a five-day juice cleanse. On top of that, I walk every single day and practice intermittent fasting.
For me, these aren’t random health experiments. They are a part of a deliberate system I use to reset my body, sharpen my mind, and maintain the stamina I need for my work.
But here’s the thing: When you’re fasting, cleansing, or in the middle of a tough training cycle, there are moments when your energy dips. You might not be moving at your usual pace. And in a professional setting, if you don’t manage that well, it can raise eyebrows.
The challenge is this: How do you make it clear that your commitment to fitness makes you better at your job without making it sound like fitness is stealing time, energy, or focus from your responsibilities?
Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Lead with the benefits, not the struggle. If your wellness routine comes up, frame it around how it fuels your performance. “I’ve found that my morning walks help me start the day focused and energized,” lands better than, “I’m dragging today because I’m fasting.”
2. Align it with the company’s values. If your organization values discipline, focus, or resilience, connect the dots. Let people see that your consistency in health is the same consistency you bring to projects and deadlines.
3. Manage expectations before energy dips. If you know a cleanse or fast might affect your pace, plan ahead. Schedule key meetings for your high-energy windows and get your most demanding work done early in the day.
4. Stay performance-first. Your work product should speak louder than your workout. When people see you meeting (or exceeding) expectations, they’ll view your fitness as an asset, not a distraction.
5. Let your actions be the loudest statement. When you show up consistently for both your health and your work, you don’t need to over-explain. People respect what they see you doing repeatedly.
Your health is not a competing interest with your career; it’s an amplifier. The trick is making sure the way you communicate and execute reinforces that truth.
If you’re in the DC area and want to see how daily movement can transform your energy and your work join us for the One Step Walking Club.
Our next walk is Saturday 8/9/2025 at 9:30 am - Metropolitan Branch Trail (8th and Edgewood Streets NE). For more information, go to onestepwalkingclub.com