Run on Christmas Day (2.25 miles)
Wednesday, December 26th, 2007With the usual collection of delicious holiday treats, including chocolate, sugar cookies, eggnog and the like, I wound up feeling a bit down on Christmas morning. After opening presents with the children and fixing a nice french toast breakfast, I asked my wife if she wouldn’t mind me going for a quick run. She agreed.
I thought that if I could just run for a few minutes it would help out. I remember hearing when I was younger that in order to get aerobic benefits from an exercise I would need to maintain an elevated heart rate for at least 18 minutes. With this in mind I started up the treadmill and ended up running 2.25 miles in just 20 minutes! I was thrilled. It did help me feel better and it also reduced my appetite for sugar and sweets, which helped me stay on track for the rest of the day. The kids were busy playing with their new toys and didn’t even notice that I was gone. When I came back in my wife said it was her turn and went for a quick run too.
In short, it really isn’t that hard to slip out for a quick run, even on a holiday with family around. Even a short run can make a big difference when it comes to how you feel during the holiday season. Give it a try. If you just can’t tear yourself away, you might just try parking further away from your holiday destinations when shopping or going out with friends and family during the holidays. For many people there is still a week of holiday cheer ahead (until new years), so get out for a walk or run, then come let us know how it went.
Happy Holidays!
