Move to Think: How Physical Challenge Enhances Mental Performance and Advisor Productivity

Across the financial services industry, productivity has become synonymous with optimization—CRMs, automation, task batching, time-blocking. These tools have value. But beneath the surface, there is a deeper challenge affecting advisor performance that no software can fix: cognitive overload.

The Hidden Crisis: Advisors Aren’t Thriving

Across the financial services industry, productivity has become synonymous with optimization—CRMs, automation, task batching, time-blocking. These tools have value. But beneath the surface, there is a deeper challenge affecting advisor performance that no software can fix: cognitive overload.

According to the latest Fidelity Advisor Community Benchmarking Study, only 18% of financial advisors report feeling that they are thriving. The other 82% cite challenges such as time pressure, administrative burden, mental fatigue, and decision paralysis as major barriers to doing their best work. This isn’t a systems problem. It’s a physiological one.

Recent research suggests that one of the most underutilized strategies for improving professional performance is not digital, but biological: physical movement.

The Neuroscience of Movement and Mental Clarity

A growing body of evidence from neuroscience and behavioral health confirms that movement directly enhances cognitive functioning. The human brain was designed to operate in motion. When we move, we activate systems that regulate attention, reduce mental clutter, and improve working memory—the core functions advisors rely on to serve clients effectively.

A 2023 study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that even short bursts of movement (20–60 minutes) improved attention, memory, and processing speed for several hours post-exercise. These gains were observed in real-world, working adult populations, not just athletic subjects.

Complementing these findings, a study in Neuropsychologia demonstrated that just 10 minutes of moderate aerobic activity measurably improved executive functioning—specifically, task-switching and reaction time. These functions are critical in a profession where advisors must shift rapidly between client conversations, portfolio analysis, and long-range planning.

But the most compelling data comes from neuroplasticity research. Scientists at the University of Zurich found that voluntary, endurance-based physical activity led to structural changes in the mid-cingulate cortex. This area of the brain governs motivation, focus, and emotional regulation—in essence, our capacity for self-directed action and sustained cognitive effort.

In other words: when we move with intent, we build the very parts of our brain that help us work with clarity, consistency, and calm under pressure.

The Professional Case for Movement

Within the advisory community, these insights are more than interesting—they’re actionable. Movement is not merely a wellness tactic; it is a strategic performance lever.

Consider the daily cognitive load of a financial advisor: high-stakes client interactions, economic forecasting, compliance considerations, practice management, and business development. When layered with digital distractions and administrative tasks, even highly skilled professionals begin to experience decision fatigue and productivity fragmentation.

Integrating structured physical activity into the workday offers a counterbalance. Movement acts as a mental reset, improving not just energy levels but also the quality of thought. Advisors who move regularly report greater focus, reduced stress reactivity, and more productive flow states during deep work blocks.

Furthermore, advisors who challenge themselves physically—whether training for a race, hiking regularly, or even walking between meetings—tend to cultivate a mindset of resilience that translates into stronger leadership, clearer planning, and greater capacity to navigate uncertainty.

Implementing Movement as a Planning Principle

At The Endurance Plan, we view movement not as a wellness initiative, but as an essential planning principle. The same way we encourage diversified income buckets and protection strategies, we advocate for a diversified energy strategy—where intentional physical challenge fuels sustainable mental performance.

To help advisors translate this insight into practice, we recommend:

• Start the day with movement: A short morning run, walk, or strength session primes the brain for clarity and reduces decision fatigue.

• Use movement as a task reset: Step away from the desk for 5–10 minutes of physical activity between cognitively demanding tasks.

• Train for something hard: Set a physical challenge goal (e.g., 5K, hike, strength PR) to build consistency, motivation, and resilience.

• Leverage movement for strategic thinking: Take high-level planning or problem-solving sessions on the move—a walk-and-talk, trail hike, or treadmill strategy hour.

These aren’t time-wasters. They’re cognitive investments.

Conclusion

Advisors today don’t just need to be technically competent. They need to be mentally clear, emotionally regulated, and able to operate at a high level over the long term.

That kind of performance doesn’t come from grinding harder. It comes from training smarter.

What are you doing to challenge yourself physically—to give yourself a break mentally?

Because endurance isn’t just a mindset.

It’s a planning principle.

References

To Improve Your Work Performance, Get Some Exercise — Harvard Business Review (May 30, 2023)
https://hbr.org/2023/05/to-improve-your-work-performance-get-some-exercise en.wikipedia.org+12hbr.org+12scholars.ln.edu.hk+12

Neurobiological effects of physical exercise — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurobiological_effects_of_physical_exercise arxiv.org+2en.wikipedia.org+2en.wikipedia.org+2

Impact of Short-Duration Aerobic Exercise Intensity on Executive Function and Sleep — (Mar 2025)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.09077 x.com+15arxiv.org+15woodyinternational.com+15

Traverse the landscape of the mind by walking — (Aug 2013)
https://arxiv.org/abs/1308.4978 thesun.co.uk+7arxiv.org+7dblp.org+7