MOVING TO FRANCE FOR THE LONG RUN

From a junk-food-loving, exercise loathing twenty-something to a nutrition and lifestyle coach, training for the Paris marathon, how moving to France changed my whole mindset.

Iwas only 23 when I decided to move to France. At the time, like many of us at that age, I gave little thought to how my lifestyle might be affecting my health. I hadn’t done any formal exercise since leaving school and didn’t have any interest in it. I lived on processed food and take-aways, spending many evenings down the pub, smoking and drinking.

But arriving in the French countryside, I found it was a long way to go if I wanted a take-away (something I’m very pleased about now), and the supermarkets were a far cry from what I was used to in the UK. Where was all the convenience food? I quickly realised I was going to have to start cooking from scratch. I started checking out the nearby markets which were full of local produce and colourful fresh fruit and vegetables.

It turned out that I actually enjoyed cooking and was soon whipping up homemade soups, curries and all sorts of other culinary delights! Not only

Moving to France For the ‘Long run’! eMMa Penrose

did I find it tasted better but I also noticed that I felt great. I was sleeping better and had more energy, my skin looked clearer and although I’d never really been overweight, I noticed my clothes were fitting better too. I truly believe that if I had stayed in UK, I would have carried on living just as I was, but coming to France led to a strong interest in food, cooking and nutrition.

It also led to a new love of fitness. That all started about 6 months after I arrived, when I adopted a puppy called George. I never would have taken on a dog in the UK because of my work/life balance, it wouldn’t have been fair. But here, I was home a lot more. Even now, at 10 years old, George never tires of chasing a ball before I tire of throwing it for him and as a puppy, he had so much energy! I had to walk him at least twice a day. I live in Loubes-Bernac, a small village situated on top of a hill. This means we have beautiful views and it’s a stunning place to live, but it also means that wherever I walk, it’s a steep climb back home and wow, back then I struggled! It was a bit of a wake-up call!

I decided to start exercising more. I remember the first time I went for a run. It was about 2.5km and I walked at least half of it, it was hard! But once I got home, it felt good to know I had done

it. That feeling spurred me on to keep doing more. I loved seeing how much further or faster I could go with each run, and before long, I was able to run up those hills!

This new-found love of health and fitness made me want to learn more, so I started studying with the Institute of Health Sciences and in June 2020, I qualified as a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach. I have since set up a new business, Love Nutrition, and I love working with my clients, supporting and advising them while they make changes to improve their own health, and work towards their goals.

If someone had told me before I moved to France that one day, I would be signing up to take part in a marathon, I would have thought they were crazy! But that’s exactly what happened. In October last year, a friend of mine approached me at a party. He’s an experienced marathon runner and he wondered if I would like to run the Paris marathon with him. At this point, I had thought now and then that it would be quite cool to run a marathon, but I never thought I would have the confidence to go for it. But here I was and without even thinking about it, I heard myself saying “Yeah ok, why not!” Would this have ever happened if I hadn’t come to live in France? Maybe, but I think it’s very unlikely!

Next time – find out how I’m getting on with my new training regime. I’ll share with you all the highs and lows of my marathon experience and everything I’ve learnt so far!

Tips for starting a new exercise routine

Check with your GP - Before making any big changes to your exercise routine, it’s important to check in with your doctor, especially if you have any injuries or health conditions.

Start small – If you take on too much too soon, you may quickly feel overwhelmed and are likely to give in before you really get started. Set yourself achievable targets to keep your motivation and morale alive. Maybe a 30-minute walk, three times a week to get started. Once you have managed that for two or three weeks, you can make it four times each week or increase the time you spend exercising. Create new habits first and then build on them.

Keep a record – Tracking your walks, runs or workouts is a great way to see your progress. It can be really motivating to see how you are getting fitter or stronger. There are lots of apps you can try to help you with this such as Strava or Map My Fitness. Or you could consider a wearable fitness tracker, you can pick up a pretty good one for around €30.

Plan in advance – Your new routine has to fit in with your life if you are going to stick to it. Use a diary to work out when you are going to do your exercise and treat it like an appointment that has to be kept!

Fuel your body – It’s important to eat the right foods to give your body enough energy for all that exercise, as well as nutrition to keep you in tiptop condition. Focus on lean proteins, wholegrains, pulses and legumes and of course plenty of fruit, vegetables and water.