This week’s post is more tailored to fitness, specifically running. Some of us loathe it, some of us love it.
I hate to love it, mainly because it has sadly caused me injury, resulting in me having to stop.
I’m here to let you know, however you stumbled across this post, that it’s okay not to be a runner. More so as a means of telling myself too.
Each lockdown told us that we should be moving more and take care of our mental and physical wellbeing. In response to that, many of us took up running and used it as a coping mechanism to keep sane and ultimately, fit, as one of the cheapest forms of exercise by only need your workout gear and a pair of trainers.
However, whilst many of us thrive from the achievement and progress that comes with clocking up the miles over time, it can be a pain for many: this eventually became the reality for me, literally. The truth is, some of us are built better for it than others.
Whilst running was a great way of getting some gentle exercise during lockdown, it became apparent that my body was not liking it at all: I started to ignore a niggling pain in my ankle, which ended up in me limping 3 months later.
This was not a pretty sight for my friends or family who could see I was distressed as it became a major obstacle in the basic need to walk, thus impacting on my workouts and eventually mental health, panicking about how I could keep fit.
If this sounds similar to you and you are experiencing some pain: stop. Listen to your body. Seek help. Some alternatives could be using a cross-trainer, which is also less stressful on your knees.
It is sending out the painful message as a sign for you to slow down and stop. Fortunately, I was able to contact my doctor who referred me to a physio, setting me a programme via an app: by following the exercises set for me each day for 6 – 8 weeks, I managed to reduce the pain in my ankle! Another month later I am still walking limp-free.
Unfortunately, I made the sad but wise decision to stop running, instead limiting it to HIIT workouts, or only short intervals of training.
I hope this gives you the reassurance that it is okay to not be a runner and do something different. Listen to your body and give it the respect it deserves: this may involve making the difficult decision to stop running altogether.
Look after yourself.
Lizzie's Week 