Good Leaders: How do you stay healthy?

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I’m finally feeling better today, thank you. Why is that important? I resumed my Hot Yoga routine as part of my commitment to improve my fitness. Here’s the insight: it took me a week to feel better after the super-intense toxin-reducing workout. Initially, it made me feel much worse, but now I’m finally feeling much better.

That’s the thing with working on my fitness. The mind – body – spirit connection has been at the center of every major health and wellness discussion for centuries. Spiritual leaders in every realm share a common point of view about how a healthy body is fundamental to a good life. So why then does this generation of believers struggle with our “fitness?”

So little time?

There’s still 24 hours in the day. But, as an empty nester, I don’t have the time-squeezed calendar full of child-watching. I don’t even have a long commute! Now it’s just my own battle with the man in the mirror. In moments of honest self-reflection – the 51 year old guy I see feels good! He just looks like he blew up a balloon above his belt line. That’s 15 pounds of beer, pizza and Doritos smiling back at me.

I’m not alone

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Every time we survey an audience about their satisfaction on the Seven Fs, the “Fitness” score is always the lowest. Sure, there are always a couple of marathon-running, mountain-biking zealots who find fitness a significant part of their fun, future and faith. They can teach us a good lesson in how to mine the meditative and self-confidence from long, steady workouts. If we choose to listen!

Finding new motivation

The rest of us workout because we “have to.” My motivation comes from my personal mission statement: I intend to die feeling young and happy, because I lived a long and full life – surrounded by people who loved me because I radiated goodness. If I’m lucky, I want to shoot my age in golf, write a best seller, travel the world with my wife, and drive a convertible 100 miles an hour on the Autobahn. I also want to build wealth so I can give it away! Clearly, I need to have good fitness to make that happen.

Beyond that, good leadership today requires that we are spiritually, physically and emotionally resilient – how else can we keep up with our “do more with less” mandate?

Blended benefits

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So that’s why I went back to Hot Yoga. At 105 degrees, it doesn’t take long to work up a good sweat. The “Yogi” tells me my stress is self-generated, because I’m “attached to something that is not true for me.” Damn it – only wanted to sweat out my toxins, increase my flexibility and feel my sore muscles again. He’s forcing me to go below the surface and blend in my faith life too.

Good leaders thrive because they honor the balance of mind,  body and spirit in the leadership equation. And they embrace the idea that followers want a leader who is spiritually, physically and emotionally resilient.

Please share with me: how are you doing on your fitness journey?

PS: I’m already feeling the benefits of my renewed commitment: My pants don’t pinch as much when I sit. I’m going to bed more tired, and waking up more rested. My personal contract with my buddy John is bringing us closer together as friends… and I’m no longer worried about fitting into my fancy purple sport coat for the Good Leadership Breakfast.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]