6 minute read
Running
This quote was made for me and has mirrored my life in many ways and through many seasons. health. Running has been the cheapest and most accessible form of therapy I have ever encountered.
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“If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” –Martin Luther King Jr.
I have found in my life that my mind has been the biggest battle I have had to face or had to face in doing or accomplishing anything; running was and is no different. I have had a long-standing love affair with running for just over 13 years now. I run all year long and always outside and yes even through the winter and even when it is cold.
For me, running became a metaphor for my life very early on. Five months into my newfound love of running my marriage was hit by a massive tsunami that wiped us out. Running was one of those things that held me up and kept me moving forward and has continued to be one of the biggest tools I have used when it comes to my mental and emotional Running supported me while I overcame a dependence on alcohol several years ago. There was a time I did not think I could go 24 hours without drinking; running along with some additional supports helped me to overcome my cravings and gave me the courage to stay sober for that day…eventually all of my “one day’s” have added up to many days.
The benefits of running or learning to run are numerous, but the mental and emotional benefits of having running in your back pocket as a tool to use whenever you need it; say like a global pandemic or something super cata
strophic like that can literally be what pulls you through and gets you to the other side.
I learned to run, I’ll be honest here, my first few attempts and weeks at learning to run were incredibly pathetic, I didn’t know I was learning anything all I knew was that I desperately needed to get out of the house with my 2 small boys at that time and so began our journey with me pushing two little toddlers in a baby stroller (I leaned heavily on that stroller) I couldn’t “run” past 20 seconds and my early runs looked a lot like walking with these intermittent spurts of frantic movement and a lot of heavy breathing.
But then one day the magic happened and suddenly I was running without stopping. I could not believe it; I had become a runner!
If you are reading this and thinking of a thousand different reasons why you cannot run, I hope that I might encourage you to rethink some things. I truly believe everyone can run, all it takes is a beginning and we all have a beginning when we start something new. Your head might be telling you your too overweight to run, your too old, to busy, no time and the list can go on and on.
The best way to learn how to run is to walk. If possible, I would encourage individuals to get outside, we are fortunate that spring has finally sprung here and so what a great time to get outside and start this new journey of learning to run. Give yourself a window of about 20-30 minutes to just enjoy being outdoors, get some fresh air. Maybe your first time out you walk the whole time; awesome! I will guarantee you that even a 20-30 minute walk outside will having you feeling better, more energetic and thinking clearer. Aim to walk/run at least 3 times a week. On your next outdoor walk, you can attempt to add in small spurts of a light or slow jog, get a little shuffle going. The biggest thing to remember is to learn to listen to your body, how does it feel, what is it saying to you. Given there will be some adjustments that you will have to regulate and overcome, especially if you have been non active for awhile or if there are other issues that your mitigating with your physical body- even those will improve over time. The main thing to remember is just don’t quit, both your mental health and physical health will improve as the days move into weeks with consistent effort as you learn to walk/ run.
The Benefits of Running for your Mental Health:
• Decreases symptoms of depression and anxiety • Improves your learning ability/clearer thinking • Sharpens your memory • Protects the brain from aging • Improves sleep/supports better sleeping habits • Boosts self-esteem/confidence • Reduces Stress/Improves your mood
What You Need to Start Running:
• Good shoes • Comfortable clothing (dress in layers/ weather appropriate) • Water bottle
Try not to get caught up in having all the perfect gear before you start- I knew nothing about shoes or gear when I started, just get going and as you do you can begin to incorporate the better shoes and gear. Just start with what you have, trust the rest will come.
The Run-Walk Method:
Life is unpredictable, as the whole world has just recently been made aware of that fact with COVID-19. As much as we try to control our environments, our lives, our situations, families, work etc the truth is that control is out of our reach. Mentally and emotionally coming to grips with this fact and the current state of the world can be traumatizing for some and the feeling of not being in control can wreak havoc on our mental health. Exercise is a basic and fundamental resource for our entire physical and mental well being, yet we live in a world where for most people who are “adulting” exercise has been what we have sacrificed. The way to “armour up” against any battle in life that we face is to first take care of our mind, soul, spirit and body, running takes care of and provides the platform for all of that. The truth is we can learn to overcome any situation, obstacle that we are faced with. Resilience is built and running helps to build it. I have learned in my life through countless setbacks, obstacles and personal tsunamis that sometimes the worst things we go through can turn out to be the best things that ever happened to us. I hope you find some peace in all of this and through this and I hope to see you outside somewhere on the running trails and sidewalks of our great city. Take good care of yourselves and each other.
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