Run, run, run. 🏃‍♀️

Today I went for my first healthy run in yeeeeeeeaaaars! It was sooo good!

I always tell people that I hate running because I am not good at it.

But the truth is, I used to be good at it and I used to like it until running became a punishment exercise for me. Ate a cake? Run. Binged because I deprived myself? Run.

Had a day off? Felt guilty? Run.

It was a “good punishment” because my training had become all ballet focused.

In ballet you are in class for 1.5 hrs. You take a lot of breaks and do short bursts of intense exercise (even the slow stuff can be as intense as you want it to be).

So running a long distance straight I found difficult. (Or maybe that was an excuse? Maybe it was just me! 🤣 either way, mentally I was sabotaging myself)

After I would run for a couple of minutes I would feel guilty about the fact I was struggling to keep going and needed a break. Forcing myself to go beyond the point of comfortable made me feel like I was “working off” the fattening foods or laziness of a rest day (how ridiculous).

Yes, professional and pre-professional dancers are athletes and need to be extremely fit but this doesn’t necessarily mean that for them running = fitness, health or weight loss. (This is the same for you too btw!)

However, today was great. I went out for my mental health! (What a turn around) I walked to a field. Ran and walked when I needed around it 4 times and walked home. It was lovely. No pressure. No guilt. No goal. It was maybe 20 min all up?

I have wanted to be comfortable with the idea of running again for a while. Maybe home based life was what I needed. Maybe it was just needing enough time. (It’s been about 4 years now since things turned for me in my mental health!)

Maybe for you, you are like me and do not go for a run (even though you know there are many health benefits - weight bearing = good for bones, aerobic activity = good for heart, fresh air = good for mind) because of previous negative behaviours. Maybe you don’t do something because you’re not good at it so why bother.

But I challenge you, give it a go without a goal and without pressure.

If it’s push ups for example, you don’t do them because whenever you have done them you can't - even on your knees you struggle! Who made it the rule that you have to start there? Why not start against the wall or in four point kneel?

If it’s running like me. Run without a distance, time or speed in mind. Go for the endorphins!

If it’s stretching. Start with just 5 min! Five minutes is better than no minutes!!

If you try it and walk away down, emotional and feeling worse. Then leave it. There are so many other things you could do. Like… why not try boxing 🥊?!

If it’s good, keep going with your new found healthy mindset.

Working out is important. Keeping physically active is so crucial to keeping your body well. Remember that as you move this week. I might even make a short run part of my routine in lockdown. It might even carry over when the gyms go back.

Let’s see!