Spring fever is here. Everyone wants to get outside and breathe in the fresh, cool air while the sun is out and flowers are popping up everywhere. Besides seasonal allergies, there is reason to smile because the cold, icy winter is behind us.
With summer coming, it is the perfect time to get in shape and enjoy the cool weather before the heat starts to pick up.
Running, jogging and walking provide an assortment of benefits that can help you maintain a happy and healthy lifestyle. This includes building strong bones and muscles, improving cardiovascular fitness, maintaining a better mood, a healthy weight and the ability to burn kilojoules, according to BetterHealth.vic.gov.
A kilojoule is a unit of measure of energy, in the same way that kilometers measure distance.
If you’re over 40 or have any chronic conditions, talking with your physician is a great idea before you make any lifestyle changes. From novice to pro, getting active is a great option and, like everything, getting better takes time. If you’re new to running, start out by going on walks. Then try to speed up the walk or add light weights to challenge yourself.
After you begin to feel comfortable, change it up — because getting comfortable with the uncomfortable is what fitness is all about when trying to take yourself above and beyond your limits.
Moving to jogging can be a difficult change, especially if you’re not experienced, but there is no need to feel ashamed if it is challenging. Everyone has to start somewhere.
When I first started running, I could barely run two minutes straight. I felt pretty pathetic. I had to change my mindset. Instead of condemning myself for barely making two minutes, I was proud for even starting, for accomplishing something I was nervous and skeptical about.
To change your life, you must change your thinking. Never self-deprecate, you’ll form a continuous habit of belittling yourself when you should be proud of what you accomplish and the person you are working on every day. So if you’re walking and you want to try to jog, go for it! No matter how long it is when you start out, be proud you had the courage to make a change and break free from self-doubt, worry or judgment.
After I had started running again, I tried something different. I put a timer on my phone and tried intervals, because I could not run/jog for very long. I ran for two minutes and walked for two. This gave me the confidence to continue to jog, while giving myself a needed break in between.
Fast forward almost three years later, and I run in the mornings about three or four times a week anywhere from two to four miles. Imagine that, not giving up on yourself, and you can do anything you set your mind to.
