By Tanja Shaw & Lana Guthrie
Special to The Progress
‘Twas two months before Christmas and in the North Pole
Santa gobbled down his ninth sausage roll.
The time had come for the first practice run of the year,
The sleigh piled high; harnessed were his eight reindeer.
The sleigh was polished, shiny and red,
And the reindeer were looking a little too well-fed.
Their bellies were rounder, their cheeks much more plump;
They were fatter throughout, from their nose to their rump.
With great effort Santa climbed into his present-filled sleigh,
He then realized how much more this year he did weigh.
Winded and weary, Santa quickly became;
As he struggled to call each reindeer by name.
The reindeer did pant, their muscles did quiver,
Their lungs did burn, but strength they could not deliver.
In the air they hovered; but then soon did fall;
In the snow they did crash, presents and all.
Out of shape and overweight they realized they were,
This Christmas could be difficult, Santa worried for sure.
The past year was spent fascinated with the computer and TV,
Santa and his reindeer didn’t get much physical activity.
Too many snack foods and couch time got in the way
Of eating fresh veggies and walking 10,000 steps everyday.
“Enough is enough!” Santa did proclaim,
He knew he only had himself to blame.
Christmas was coming, only two months away,
Healthy living for all must be started today.
No more of Mrs. Claus’ baking or trans-fat-filled treats,
Only whole grains, fruits and veggies, and healthy lean meats.
A training program would be followed most days of the week
To help Santa and reindeer improve their physique.
Santa and reindeer trained together each day,
A training a partner kept them from going astray.
No matter the weather – snow, sleet or fog,
The started each day with a half-hour jog.
Much sweat was shed, and many a tear,
But Santa knew the children needed him this year.
Weight was soon lost, and muscles soon toned,
Santa stayed focused, he would not let Christmas be postponed.
When Christmas Eve came; Santa leapt onto the sleigh,
The reindeer were fit, with renewed energy to display.
“Ho Ho Ho!” Santa called as they soared across the sky,
“Exercise and healthy living is worth it, just give it a try!”
Tanja Shaw is a health and fitness coach, Rotarian, passionate entrepreneur, mom, runner, and owner of Ascend Fitness + Lifestyle, and host of the Ascend Lifestyle Performance Podcast. Ascend’s supportive, knowledgeable coaches help clients live a healthier life and achieve their goals through nutrition, fitness and mindset coaching in a family-like private fitness studio. Learn more at www.ascendfitnesslifestyle.com