Health Benefits of Fun-Running

What a crazy and exciting few days it has been. Who would have thought that organising a run and breakfast on the beach for Breast Cancer would have been so

1. fun

2. chaotic

3. So fricken exciting!

Deliveries from my three amazing sponsors, Chobani, Lowan and Carman’s who have been so generous and delightful to work with, all arrived by 4:59pm Friday afternoon. Phew!

And then I sat back, relaxed and waited for the Saturday morning frantic rush to begin.

So, friends just for an extra burst of motivation for tomorrow, or for your next run I thought I would share my thoughts on Why I run for fun..

1) Running is a great mood enhancer and decreases my stress levels. Even if you are just feeling a bit ‘blah’, getting outdoors, listening to music and maintaining a steady pace, clears the mind and rejuvenates your mood.

2) Running keeps me feeling fit and healthy. The research is out there, running regularly can help with overall short and longterm health.  It is old news that running can improve your immune function, assist with the physical conditioning of both your heart and lungs and help with weight management.

3) Running is YOUR time! I love running alone or with company, with music or without, inside or (preferably) outside. Running is my time, to set goals and work towards achieving them.  This process has built up my self esteem and given me the confidence to challenge myself physically and mentally.

So, get on board. Running is the cheapest form of exercise. You don’t need much to get outdoors, enjoy the fresh air and reap the benefits!

If you are a Sydney-sider, please come along and join us tomorrow. We are running for Breast Cancer and hope that our contribution will assist is finding a cure in the coming years.

If you can’t join us, grab some friends, get running and feel free to make a contribution on the donation site I have set up.

Happy Saturday!

What is your favourite thing about running? Or your preferred form of exercise??

For more posts on running motivation, check out my Running and Cross Training page!

 

 

 

Natural Mood Enhancer

In my life, there is a high correlation between my mood and the amount of time I spend outdoors.

You can guess the direction… the more time I spend outdoors = better my mood 🙂

I think it is the combination between the fresh air, the sunlight and the beautiful trees and flowers..

My stroll fast paced, arm-strengthening walk today was all the better as I had Josh’s 4-legged bundles of joy, Zac and Bailey with me.

We walked to the dog park where I let them off their leashes to run around and explore.

They were pretty calm until they spotted the birds…

After a fun running sesh we headed back home where they crashed, and spent the rest of the afternoon fast asleep 🙂

So, if you feel like a nature mood enhancer, step outside and soak up the fresh air and don’t forget to look for the beauty in the little things…

What is something that never fails to enhance your mood?

 

Why I fell in love with running

People are often intrigued by the fact that I actually, for the most part, enjoy running.

Here are some of the reasons I love it so much

1)  ‘Running is cheaper than therapy’ –  running gives you the opportunity to unwind, relax and think things through in your head.

2) It gets the blood circulating and the heart racing – it is an instant mood enhancer!

3) It gets me outdoors.  I love nature, and I love being out in the fresh air.  Whether I run around my local neighbourhood or along the coastline @ any of the beautiful Sydney beaches – I am always inspired by my surroundings.

4) Music. Ballads. Feel good songs.  Singing like noone is listening (except the awkward encounter with the walker who doesn’t have earplugs in).

5) It keeps me feeling fit and healthy. And don’t we all like to feel that way?

What do you do that makes you feel good?