Most people take up running in order to lose weight.
Yes, it works. Running daily, with a sensible diet can help you shed the pounds. After all, you burn more calories running than you might cycling or swimming or engaging in most sports.
On top of that, running is a very convenient sport. All you need is a good pair of running shoes.
One reason why many people continue running is not so much for weight control as for stress control and for better mental health.
Let's start with stress control.
Back in the days where people lived in caves Cheap Adidas Daroga , our ancestors' reaction to stress - the flight or fight response, kept them alive.
Think about it. When you live in a cave and have to hunt for food, what kind of stress do you have?
Running into a cave lion? The adenaline pumping in your veins ready you to run for your life.
The other predators trying to steal away the meat you are drying for future meals? The stress reaction, with adrenaline boosting your strength help you fight them off so that you get to keep your food.
Hunting for food? The thrill of the hunt is a positive form of stress, which again Cheap Adidas Marathon , gets adrenaline levels high so you have more speed and strength to hunt down your prey.
Fast forward to these modern times. We are exposed to low level stresses most of the time.
Late for work. Caught in the traffic jam. Long queue to get your breakfast. Unhappy customer causing problems for you. Nasty bosses yelling at you.
How does the flight or fight response work here? You can't punch your boss. Nor can you run away from the customer. You just have to grin and bear it. The natural outlet for these pent up stresses just won't work. Or would it?
You can always run. Not there and then, but later, when time permits. Running is a natural release for stress. At the end of the day, you can go for an evening jog and sweat it out, and release the stress that has been building up all day long.
Running also helps with some stress related problems.
People with chronic stress levels all the time are at a higher risk of burn out Cheap Adidas Gazelle , high blood pressure and irritability or depression.
Runners tend to have lower blood pressure. Running boosts the mood because of the endorphins released during the run.
Running gives you reprieve from perpetual stress that can otherwise lead to burn out.
When problems crop up, or when you feel overwhelmed, a long run takes you away from the clutter in your life and lets you think in peace.
Running is therapeutic. It helps you sort out your life without spending money on hourly rates on the shrink's e are times when seeking help from a shrink is necessary, but for most of the stresses of daily life, running helps you cope pretty well. Many CEOs see stress as an intractable problem which would cost too much to tackle properly -- or alternatively something that only affects 'whiners' whom their organisations would be better off without. Employee assistance programmes Cheap Adidas Tubular , corporate gym memberships and flexible hours are seen as expensive, of dubious effectiveness, and in the worst case, as mollycoddling staff. Many organisations do the bare minimum to comply with legislation -- and some get stung for heavy penalties as the law gradually tightens up.
Let's look at stress in a different way. Stress is a drain on your organisation's productivity, morale and commitment. When you remove the causes of stress in your organisation Cheap Adidas ZX Flux , not only will everyone feel better about coming to work, your bottom line will improve. And if you can get the answers right to these six simple common-sense questions, codes of practice and counselling programmes won't come into the equation. Are you interested yet?
Why The Questions Are In This Form
We could ask questions that look at the situation from the outside, like "Do my team members have what they need to do the job?" This detached, third-party viewpoint is the way that managers have traditionally looked at 'people factors' in the past. This won't get you the whole answer.
In order to understand the subjective experience of your people -- which is what determines their morale Cheap Adidas Stan Smith , stress levels and performance -- you have to put yourself in their shoes, or better still, ask them. This is why the questions are in the form they are. The information you need is in the answers you will get when your employees ask themselves these questions. You can get a lot of information just by putting yourself in the shoes of each of your team members -- with their resources and attitudes -- rather than assuming that they think in the same way you do.
The Questions
1. Are my work patterns and environment healthy?
-- Is the environment safe, clean, and easy on the eye?
-- Is it well laid out Cheap Adidas Superstar , with the things you need easy to find and get to?