Hello runner friends!Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness SeriesMIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!
Now let's get started by talking about Thanksgiving--which is a time to gather with family and friends to share a traditional meal and express gratitude for the good things in life (after participating in the obligatory Turkey Trot 5k of course). It's also a time to run... a lot. Especially if you want to get away from the in-laws or another family member who drives you nuts or want to avoid the weight gain and bloating that comes from a day-long marathon of over-indulgence. Whatever your reason, though, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, running a gratitude mile or two is good for your mind, your mood, and your waist line.
So what exactly is a gratitude mile you might be wondering? Well... it's a time where you consciously call to mind the many things you have to be thankful for. And while it might be hard to start this thought pattern, it helps to begin by speaking out loud the things you are appreciative of in the moment and soon a million things will come to your mind. Getting started might sound something like this... "I'm grateful for my warm home that I will return to when I'm done. I'm grateful for the falling leaves and the crisp air and the ability to see, smell, and feel it all. I'm grateful for the sun. I'm grateful for the ability to run. I'm grateful for the food in my refrigerator and the meal I will enjoy later. I'm thankful for a new day. I'm thankful for my spouse. I'm thankful for my children. I'm thankful for this day God has given me. I'm thankful for my friends. I'm thankful for my past trials because they made me strong and I'm thankful for my current ones because they will make me even stronger. I'm thankful for being alive. And I'm thankful for this mile I'm in no matter how hard it might be."
See where I'm going with that? Do this for at least 10-15 minutes and you'll likely find that you have way more to be thankful for than you thought. Which means you might end up with more than just one "gratitude mile.” And that’s a good thing!
Furthermore, expressing gratitude is associated with a host of other mental and physical benefits. Studies have shown that feeling thankful can improve sleep, mood and immunity. Gratitude can also decrease depression, anxiety, difficulties with chronic pain and risk of disease. Gratitude is so powerful, in my opinion, that if a pill could produce all the amazing benefits gratitude does, everyone would be taking it.
Consider this as well, expressing gratitude releases certain feel-good chemicals into the body. Running also releases certain feel-good chemicals into the body. Which means when we combine the two, we can't help but be happy!
So, there you have it friends. Those are some great reasons to get in some miles while counting your blessings. This is something I purposefully do every day and something I hope you'll enjoy so much that you will make it a daily habit as well. After all, there are millions of things to be thankful for every day.
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Running!
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