Run Forest!

So I was reading a post that Michael Hyatt put out about the importance of signing up for a half marathon and getting out there and exercising. And I have to say that I absolutely agree. Every year a bunch of people at Dave Ramsey‘s office sign up for the Country Music Marathon & 1/2, and I’m proud to say that this year I’m signed up as well! (Crud, what did I get myself into?) I’m starting late on the training, so I don’t expect to run the whole thing, but I will be finishing. God help me!

Michael had eight great reasons to get out there and do this; I want to focus on a couple myself for leaders and their teams. While exercise is just plain smart, there’s a couple of reasons that it’s vital for survival. You see, I believe we live  ever increasingly stressed out lives. Everything seems to be moving at a much greater pace, and the search for personal down time is coming up shorter and shorter every day. So I want to add three areas to Michael’s thoughts:

• Put the coffee cup down and pick up the water-glass! It is almost a right of passage when you become a part of the workforce that you have to drink coffee to get your day going and keep it going. As any good nutritionist will tell you, the problem is that caffeine is a stimulant that actually shuts off your adrenal glands while it’s working in your system. The more caffeine, the lest your adrenals work. Why is that important? Not only do the adrenals give you adrenaline, but they are also responsible for healing your body. Therefore, when they shut down, so do you!

• Kick off the loafers and put on the Nike’s. While running is good for so many reasons, one of the best is that it releases endorphins. Endorphins are natural pain relievers, but they are also considered to have a stronger effect on the body than most drugs. That’s where the term “runner’s high” comes from. You feel considerably more energized, and in turn, endorphins also reduce the effect of stress on your body, allowing you to stay more energized longer.

• Put down the Princess Leia cinnamon buns and the comfort food. Have you ever actually looked at the nutritional panel on that package? I’ve seen them have as much as twenty-six grams of fat; in one bun! Start your week off right by showing up with a bunch of healthy snacks that you can munch on during the week. One of my favorites is Larabars. (They have a new one, blueberry muffin. SAWEET!) As for the comfort food, I’m a huge offender of this, but you’ve got to make better choices. There’s one undeniable thing, while I may feel great eating comfort foot, I always feel bad an hour later when I have no energy. As well as when I step on the scale the next day.

Give yourself one month of making these changes. If you don’t feel better…blame it on Michael. 🙂

If you’re doing the Country Music Marathon & 1/2, leave a comment!