What an inspiration the London Marathon is. I have no doubt that even the non-runners amongst you cannot help but feel hugely impressed with the effort these thousands of runners make to even turn up to the start line.
People starting out in fitness can often seem to be intimidated by runners, and I can understand why. If it seems out of your reach, and runners come flying past you, it can seem pointless to even try. But the great thing about running is, it doesn’t cost anything, and you can do as much or as little as you like.
Start off slowly. Literally, start by walking. Walking is great exercise, and once you have built up a level of fitness, try jogging for 30 seconds in between walking, and just gradually increase the amount of time that you run for. It’s as simple as that.
Running has great health benefits. As well as improving lung fitness, it greatly benefits your heart health, and tones the whole body. It involves arms, legs and core. It also gets you out in the fresh air, which is so important in today’s world.
Health isn’t just physical. Good Health is mental wellbeing as well. Walking and running is great for mental health. It produces endorphins, the ‘feel good’ hormones, which help improve mood. As I always say, however much you don’t want to go out for that run, you will definitely feel better after your run than you did before!
So pop on some trainers, get outside, and see if you like it. You may be running a marathon this time next year!
