Y’all know by now that I believe you’ll never be as strong, vital and focused as you can be, unless you take as much care of your body as you do of all other aspects of your life. To my mind, working your body is as important as working your job because you’ll never be a peak performer until you understand that a strong mind and strong body are inter-related–in other words you’ve gotta pay yourself first everyday.

My Personal Paycheck comes in the form of a regular run. Here’re some of the reasons why I value running so much:

1. Running builds your self-esteem: The sense of achievement is colossal. Feel how your confidence soars!

2. Running gives you a sense of control: How fast, how long, how often, where and when. You’re in charge. You’re in control. And you get the kudos!

3. Running makes you feel good!: You’ve heard of those endorphin-things. You know? The hormones that respond to exercise and give you a great feel-good buzz? Well apparently they’re more powerful even than morphine and running is a great way to get some!

Need more reasons to put on those trainers? Well keep reading and I’m sure you’ll find some…! More running tips in future posts. Stay in tune.

Japan has among it’s population the highest percentage of centenarians (people aged 100 or above) of any country in the world.

There are a number of dietary advantages the japanese have, including the fact that they eat lots of protein and omega-3 fatty acids–but I find it intriguing that 80 percent of them drink green tea every day.

Green Tea is a tremendous antioxidant that may have other heart healthy benefits–and apparently it would be hard to drink too much of it. A recent study in Japan indicates the more you drink, the better. Those who drank five or more cups a day had rates of heart disease 16 percent lower than those who drank only one cup a day - and their rates of death were 26 percent lower. So go on, pour yourself a cuppa!

Yup, it’s another plug for my good friend ‘Yoga.’

Millions of folks suffer from back pain, and if you’re one of them you might want to try increasing your flexibility through yoga. In a study done by the Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, 101 people with chronic back pain took either 12 weeks of yoga, 12 weeks of an exercise class, or followed the advice of a self-help book. The results - published in Annals of Internal Medicine - showed that the yoga practitioners reported better back function than those in the other two groups. The yoga group was also using less than half the amount of pain medication.

Why does it work? Well, Yoga incorporates stretching and relaxation, which reduces tension in stress-carrying muscles. Yoga requires that the individual hold gentle poses anywhere from 10 to 60 seconds. Within the pose, certain muscles flex, while others stretch, promoting relaxation and flexibility in muscles and joints.

For people with lower back pain, stretching is very important. For example, stretching the hamstring muscles (in the back of the thigh) helps expand the motion in the pelvis, decreasing stress across the lower back. In addition, stretching with yoga increases blood flow, allowing nutrients to flow in, toxins to flow out, and overall nourishment of the muscles and soft tissues in the lower back.

There you go–another great reason to get to that gym!