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Insights from Dr. Chase Feiger on the Importance of Physical Activity for Mental Recharge

Executives seeking mental recovery are learning that movement, not passive downtime, restores cognitive function and prevents burnout

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Key takeaways

01

Physical activity restores cognitive function more effectively than passive rest like watching TV or reading.

02

Executives face heightened burnout risk due to constant demands on attention and decision-making.

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Dr. Chase Feiger has made movement-based recovery a core part of his personal daily routine.

In today’s fast-paced business world, a growing body of research suggests that the continual demands on our attention can lead to burnout and decreased productivity. But it’s not just about taking a break; it’s about the quality of the breaks we take.

it’s not just about taking a break; it’s about the quality of the breaks we take.

Just like a car that needs quality fuel to run efficiently, our brains require periods of indirect attention—time away from the constant stream of data and decision making. This doesn’t mean watching TV or reading a book, both of which still deplete our cognitive “fuel tank.” Instead, it means engaging in physical activities, which not only recharge our brains but also contribute immensely to our overall health. As we navigate this discussion, let’s hear more from Dr. Chase Feiger, CEO at Ostro, who has made these findings an integral part of his daily routine.

engaging in physical activities, which not only recharge our brains but also contribute immensely to our overall health.
Video TranscriptExpand ↓

And what what are some of the daily habits you've built in to make maintain that health? Absolutely. It, you know, first and foremost, I wanna start off by saying that it's crazy to me when I meet so many executives, whether you're CEO, FO, and I find out that you're living a very sedentary lifestyle. You know, there's only so much direct attention. There were a number of research studies done on called direct attention and indirect attention. And what direct attention means is anytime you're reading a book, anytime you're at the office, you know, writing an email, putting together a PowerPoint deck, an Excel spreadsheet, sitting down and having a conversation with someone on a show like this, That requires direct attention. A lot of people think by taking a break, I'm gonna go watch TV. I'm gonna read a book. They don't recognize that watching TV reading a book, that's also using up that same direct attention. So think of direct attention as a fuel tank. Every time you use it, whether you're watching TV and you're taking that break -- Right. -- or you're, you know, reading a book or writing an email, The only way to recharge direct attention is indirect attention. And indirect attention comes in the form of going for a walk, going for a run, going to the gym, lifting weights, pilates, tennis, basketball, any physical activity. So I mean, I I take the approach of I'm gonna practice what I preach. And what that means to me is, I mean, I'm I'm working out six to seven days a week. My I'm not lifting weights every single day. I'm lifting weights around four to five days a week. And I'm putting in on average. If you look at my phone right now, and we could pull it out later in the episode for for proof and evidence, average number of steps a day in June was over eighteen thousand a day. Wow. July over eighteen thousand a day, as well as May over eighteen thousand a day. So I try to keep that active lifestyle, when I'm not lifting weights. It also means diet. You know, diet nutrition, as we know, is is ninety percent of the journey. Sure. So, I do intermittent fasting. Okay. I will go I will run sixteen to eighteen fast, you know, periods of a full intermittent fast. And, when I'm eating, I'm consuming highly nutritious foods, not empty calories.

About the author

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Healthcare

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About the Experts

H
Healthcare

Host, Highway to Health

Highway to Health is a MarketScale original show exploring the future of healthcare through conversations with industry innovators. The series covers topics ranging from executive wellness and burnout prevention to emerging healthcare technologies and delivery models. It is produced as both a show and live event series on the MarketScale platform.

Dr. Chase Feiger is the CEO of Ostro, a health technology company. He is an advocate for integrating physical activity into daily executive routines as a strategy for cognitive recovery and burnout prevention.