Between long work hours and extensive travel, getting regular exercise is difficult for consultants. But Amy Meiners, an executive consultant with Cumberland Consulting Group, created the Cumberland Multi-Sport Club as a network to encourage colleagues to find time to get and stay fit.
Consulting: Why do you think exercise is so important?
Meiners: With as much travel as we do, it's so easy at the end of the day to get dinner and collapse at the hotel. But I've found that a little exercise before dinner really helps me find my mind/body balance.
Consulting: How did you create the multi-sport club?
Meiners: Last August, I decided to do the Chicago Triathlon, which consists of swimming, running and cycling. My husband wanted to join me, but his cancer treatment left him with some disabilities that prevented him from doing the whole thing. So, some of my co-workers offered to make it a relay and to do the events he couldn't.
We ended up having a great time training together. And from there, we decided that we wanted to do something for Cumberland that would give others the opportunity to train and work together.
Consulting: How has the effort expanded?
Meiners: What started as a small group of four or five people has grown to the point where we have interest from 75 people—that's half of our firm. We put together SharePoint and Facebook sites to let everyone know where and when we were going to meet, especially when we're traveling and are looking to find a place to get exercise in a new city. We've added race and training information, as well as pictures. The goal is to put resources in place so that everyone has support.
Consulting: How do you stay motivated?
Meiners: When you're training for an endurance sports, it's easy to feel down. It's hard to get out and workout after a 10- or 12-hour day. So, our plan is to add a philanthropy piece to our efforts so that we're constantly thinking about others. One of the women who raced with us last year gave my husband a hand-tied fleece blanket.
While undergoing chemotherapy treatments, the kids that were also undergoing treatment kept telling him 'your blanket is so cool.' So, our plan now is to raise enough money to buy a yard of fabric for every mile we run. And, in the end, we'll host an event at a local children's hospital. We'll make fleece blankets for the kids—something comforting that they can carry with them through treatment.
Consulting: What advice do you have to consultants that are having trouble getting into the habit of exercising?
Meiners: We're trying to encourage people at all levels. I know people that have done 5K walks. Any activity that gets people out there. We don't want people to be intimidated by exercising.
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