I started running for a multitude of reasons, and there are truly endless benefits of running, this is the list of reasons why I personally started running.
For my Physical Health
Endometriosis really turned my life upside down in 2022, and I let that diagnosis and symptoms get to me and drag me into a self pity party. So I had gained weight and become very inactive after my diagnosis. The more weight I put on the worse my symptoms got and the vicious cycle just went on and on. After tons of reading, and research I had seen where physical activity and diet change can really help with symptoms. On top of the weight I had gained from my pity party I had started to experience a lot of other symptoms from the weight gain and inactivity. My body hurt all the time, I had tons of aches and pains, and I had developed some stomach issues which I chalked up to crappy eating.
My mother has autoimmune disorders, heart problems and is riddled with arthritis. Seeing how it has affected her, I didn’t want that for myself. In my 60’s I want to be having fun, and active, playing with grand kids, or my adult children. Going on trips and living my life to it’s fullest, not relying on medications and unable to do the things I want or love to do. Running not only can help create a calorie deficit to help with weight loss, but it also is a good cardio activity for your heart. When running it strengthens your bones because it is a weight bearing activity and it strengthens muscles. Making it the perfect choice for my go to activity to make changes.
Running for my Mental Health
2021 was a year of a lot of changes, we moved to the property we own, I lost my job due to medical reasons. At the same time my son found himself struggling within the public school system, resulting in me pulling him out to home school him. So I had lost my identity as an independent single mother. Previously I worked 60+ hours a week, and when I got home from work I took care of the house and kids and worked out. All of that was gone, it was like I had lost my identity, I didn’t know who I was anymore. I wasn’t working, I woke up at home, spent all day at home, then went to bed. There was no me for me anymore. My job title switched to full time care giver, finances were tight, there was no break during the day from being a full time mother and fiance.
Feeling lost, trapped, and alone, I decided that running would be my minimum one hour a day that focused on me. I moved my treadmill to my bedroom so it was easily accessible the days I couldn’t get outside to run. When you run or even walk your body becomes better equipped to handle mental tension and stress, it can help with managing anxiety. Exercise also increases norepinephrine which is a chemical that helps your brain’s response to stress.
Weight Management
We all know the age old adage that running helps with weight loss and weight management. So this was a no brainier to help combat my weight gain from the self pity party that running would be beneficial. When I started walking in November of 2023 I lost 15 pounds by the middle of January. At that point I felt a lot of the benefits of regular physical exercise and felt like I was ready to try running again. When I started to see the weight loss, I started to feel better about myself and it made me want to keep running, and keep improving. It was hard at first, Some days I just didn’t feel like it, those days I gave myself grace and committed to one mile. The more weight I lost, the more motivation I had to keep going.
Weight loss is not everything, and thin does not equal healthy. I know plenty of very thin people who are extremely unhealthy. However weight loss can improve blood work, heart health, it can contribute to better self confidence. It can relieve some of the pressure on your joints, and it can be beneficial, but I do not put a huge emphasis on weight loss, because I feel like all of the other benefits that running produces are far more important.
Bragging About Running
Yes…that is right, I started running because I want to brag about it. I envied those people that talk about casually running a marathon on Sunday morning. Jealous of all those people posting videos on Instagram with their groups of runner friends, or the beautiful sights they were seeing while briskly running through their city or through the woods. Bragging about running is like the ultimate in your face I can do this, in my opinion. And honestly I wanted to be able to be all casual and cool and be like ” Yea, I am at this function at 2pm, but I totally killed five miles at 7 ‘O’clock this morning, cause I am a badass.” There is only so much you can say about home schooling to people, and my dogs though I love them are not very excited They sleep all day, so I had nothing to talk about when talking about what I do.
So when I started running I had something to tell people about. From the sights I see, to the cars that pass me, to the tick I had to pull off my leg that morning. Recently I passed a dead raccoon that was in a drain and it was perfectly placed to look like it was climbing out of the gutter. I took a picture on snap chat and captioned it ” Someone call the Winchesters, demon raccoons are escaping the gutter gates of hell.” I laughed incredibly too hard at this but it was so amusing to me.
Running Example for My Kids
Active kids are important to me, my children like to game, they are not very active, we live in a rural town with nothing to do. So it is important to me that they see an active role model. Hopefully through them seeing me being active and taking care of myself they will develop those same habits. Many times I have to coax them out of the house to exercise, but I hope as they get older they will remember how much better they feel when they are active and they will continue those good habits. My kids and I have a great relationship, and I am always telling them that I do this so that when they are older I can still be active with them, and do activities with them.
We take a family vacation to the beach every year, and my mother is very limited in the activities she can do with us. There are so many things I would love for her to do with us but her legs bother her, and her back pain prevents her from being able to join in some of our activities. That’s not something I want to experience. If my kids say “Hey lets walk the beach and look for sea glass and shark teeth.” I don’t want to be concerned with how far they plan to walk. I want to be able to rent a beach house with no regards to how many stairs there are to access the house.
This is Why I Started Running
I started running because of all of the benefits it has to offer. These are the ones most important to me personally.
Running is beneficial for your heart, helps control blood sugar, promotes good cholesterol, and helps you manage blood pressure. It strengthens your muscles and bones, it promotes blood flow and helps move fluid through your body that lubricates your joints.
Mentally it helps you combat depression, promotes management of anxiety, and creates feel good endorphins.
Running can help with managing your weight.
You get bragging rights for being a bad ass.
And you get to be an inspiration to others, whether it is your own children, people who are in a similar situation.
Until next time, Happy Lollygagging!