Running for Fitness

Run Forrest Run…

Running is a great way to either help you jumpstart your fitness or to take your health to a new level. Of course any new activity you start must first be approved through your doctor. But if you’ve been given the green light on jogging/running then this post is for you.

While growing up, I was never a runner and never in a million years saw myself running, unless of course my life depended on it. I was a ballet dancer but wasn’t interested in sports that required using a lot of aerobic activity. Soccer, softball, tennis, track….these activities just didn’t excite me. t remember playing T-ball when I was really little but I think it lasted all of a few months. I must admit, I really wasn’t any good so thank goodness I didn’t have plans to be an athlete.

Once I became an adult I tried running several times but I could never quite get my breathing down and so I tired quickly. Plus I gained so much weight that it was very hard on my joints and self-esteem. My “run” was more like a fast-paced walk so there were times that I was a little embarrassed, especially with all of those extra pounds moving around when I did try to jog. The result…..I felt like a failure and yep…..I gave up.

Fast forward into my early 30’s. I found out I had asthma, unbeknownst to me, and when I finally got tired of the emergency room and the four medications I was taking to just breath, I visited a pulmonologist. His recommendation was to take me off three of the meds and then start running.  Ummm….yes…I had the “What you talking about Willis” face when he gave that recommendation. That just didn’t sound right. He told me to trust him and sent me on my merry little way.

So I started….nice and slow and very scared. I went ahead and got an app and since I was going to be running I thought I should also change-up my eating and I became a vegetarian, that story later.It was very uncomfortable at first. I won’t lie. But I told myself to keep going no matter what. Even if I had to walk/run, I had to just keep going!

I slowly built up my endurance and while I was building endurance I was learning to breathe. I also read up on breathing techniques from sources like Runner’s World. A year later I was running in 5K races and actually placing in some of them. The most noticeable change was that I had lost over 73 pounds….and the crowd goes wild! Yes, YAY me. Of course that was due to nutrition changes too, but the bottom line is that I stuck with it.

Change is never easy, especially if the change causes discomfort. I never saw myself as an athlete so therefore I didn’t do athletic types of activities. But I learned that short-changing yourself by putting yourself in a box, greatly limits you. It was a great disservice to subconsciously tell myself that I wasn’t an athlete or to associate aerobic activity with being an athlete.

We are capable of doing things beyond our wildest dreams. The key is consistency. I never thought I would get running down nor did I think I would ever win a race. But I started with a desire and then took baby steps to get there. Day by day I built up my confidence and my strength and I never looked back. Whatever your goal is, put it into action and never give up on yourself. You’re worth it.