Train Like an Athlete, Work with High-Agency
TL;DR
- High agency sustains reliability. Treat exercise as non-negotiable for sharper focus and resilience.
- Movement refreshes the mind. New science shows exercise rewires the brain for cognitive resilience.
- Steady training = product edge. Sharper focus, better decisions, and more engagement at work.
Start-ups reward high agency – the capacity to spot a problem, think it through, then act fast. Be reliable; do what you need to do. I've found the most reliable way to sustain reliability is a daily training habit: steady cardio, strength, faster interval sessions. I'm on a 250 day streak at the time of writing. I don't feel comfortable 'bragging', but I do find myself preaching sport as the best way to keep the battery full and the head clear. Treat exercise as non-negotiable.
A quick dose of science
A May 2024 study from Kyushu University and the University of Toronto showed that regular exercise triggers new neuron growth and circuit 'rewiring' in the hippocampus, helping mice let go of traumatic memories and boosting cognitive resilience (九州大学 (KYUSHU UNIVERSITY): https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/researches/view/288/). Translation for humans: movement refreshes the hardware we depend on for focus, learning and steady mood.
Why that matters to product work
Exercise isn't just for health – it's a product superpower. Here's how steady training impacts key challenges:
| Challenge | With steady training | Without steady training |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid context-switching | Sharper focus, calmer resets | Mental drag, decision fatigue |
| Tough stakeholder calls | Even keel, clearer framing | Short fuse, fuzzy messaging |
| Deep discovery interviews | Attentive listening, better insights | Less engagement |
Exercise also doubles as meditation: a zone 2 run is quiet thinking time; a swim session forces the phone out of reach.
Think Mode ↔️ Do Mode
Let me frame this better – The cognitive edge shows up most when you need to jump between two very different gears... High-agency PMs master two distinct states:
- Thinking
– deep problem-shaping, strategy, hard trade-offs - Doing
– rapid execution, tight feedback loops, shipping
Training helps me oscillate; when I'm slack with exercise, I don't think as well (despite my philosophy background) and so I make more mistakes when 'doing'. When I exercise, I'm working the body so the mind gets recharge time and I have more energy to oscillate between thinking and doing more comfortably.
A minimalist "athlete" loop
- Book three 35-minute sessions
next week – walk, ride, row, doesn't matter. - Protect them like meetings.
Cancel something else first. - Log how you feel after lunch.
Adjust volume, not the habit.
Consistency beats intensity; think sprint cadence, not hackathon.
Next steps:
Settle on your own 'athlete' loop; be honest with yourself regarding the impact on your work
Understand that product management demands a body and mind that show up every day, especially if you're an individual contributor. Train like an athlete – you can feel proud and post medals, while also sustaining high agency! I make this clear to everybody I mentor!
Written by Alexander Chrisostomou • Published 26/05/2025 • Last updated 26/05/2025