Get Up and Get Moving!
One of the positive things to come from COVID-19 for me is that I’ve invited consistent fitness back into by life. Growing up I loved playing in my backyard, jumping on our trampoline and riding my bike. In high school I played football, basketball, ran track and swam during the summer. In college I joined the club ski team, played intramural sports and made it a point to take a gym class each quarter (arial maneuvers with skis on a trampoline was actually a credit worthy class at the University of Oregon). I continued to play basketball two days a week until three years ago and have intermittently trained for some road long road bike rides. But over the past two years my commitment to exercise has become inconsistent and I’ve struggled to get into a routine.
I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t understand the benefits of being physically active. The keys to good physical health aren’t complicated. If you eat right and exercise you should be on the right path. So why is it so hard to do? Often I hear people say; “I should work out more” or “I really need to get in shape.” And more than two thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese. I believe the reason it’s so difficult is because consistent exercise is more about mental strength than physical strength. Our mind is constantly looking for the path of least resistance, so we have to overcome the temptation to just stay in bed, or take another rest day and make an empty promise for tomorrow.
So what does exercise have to do with leadership? It’s been proven that moderate to vigorous exercise at least two days a week over a long period of time can also have the following benefits on your mental health:
- Sharper memory and thinking, including a reduced risk of dementia
- Reduce anxiety and depression
- Better and more consistent sleep
- Improved quality of life more energy
- Stronger Resilience
I’m grateful that a less busy schedule during the pandemic has allowed me to prioritize almost daily workouts on my Peloton Bike and provide me with many of the benefits above. I’m one of those junkies that is now addicted to the classes, instructors, music and thrill of chasing PRs. In addition to scheduling workouts into my day, there were two other factors that helped me get back on track. I stopped looking at exercise as something I felt like I had to do, and instead remembered how much I love doing it. Yes, exercise is tough, but it doesn’t have to be a chore - I had to make it fun, something I look forward to every day. The second was being inspired by other people that commit to regular exercise. My friend David Hughes, who gets up at 5am every morning to go for a run. Colleen, who works at Footers and Mibe Tribe, took up boxing two years ago to raise money for charity and has continued that long after the fundraiser was over. My sister, Stacy, who trains for marathons in her spare time and my friend, Kelly Seavall, who still competes nationally in Masters Swimming. All of these people (and many more) remind me I’m not alone, and inspire me on the days where motivation may be low.
Physical activity has a tremendous impact on our mental health and our ability to effectively lead others. In times of stress and crisis, exercise can fall down the priority list of things that need to be done, yet that is precisely when it is most critical to exercise. Taking even 15-30 minutes of your day to get your heart rate up and going, can clear your mind and better prepare you for the challenges ahead. So, get up and get moving! And if you’re one of those fellow Peloton junkies, you can find me on the leaderboard at: AJL_DenverDuck - let’s ride together!
*Each week I share a leadership message with our team and we are honored to share it with you via MIBE Tribe. MIBE (the acronym for Make It Better Everyday) Tribe delivers education on heart leadership and intentional culture building for the hospitality industry.