Running is the ultimate antidote to our always-on, wired lifestyles and makes us strong in mind and body. Running can change your life. “Running is the thing that made me realise I could do anything,” says Tess Agnew, 33, from Brighton. Tess, a fitness blogger at thefitbits.com, started running six years ago, to complete her first half marathon with family in memory of her motherin- law. “It’s when I started believing in myself and has been the gateway to so many brilliant opportunities both in and outside of fitness,” she says.
“Running lifted me out of bulimia, depression and anxiety,” says Jessica Robson, 25, founder of Run Talk Run, a group of runners who meet to run, and do what it says on the packet: talk. “I found my inner strength from running. I use it as a method of processing my shit and an opportunity to work through my problems or current challenges,” she says. “Running forces us to ‘show up’ for ourselves, take on a challenge, and see it through no matter how hard it feels.
“Whatever level of experience you have, running isn’t easy. It is the ability to push through those runs that feel like crap and then run again the next day that builds resilience, which translates to many other areas of our lives,” she adds. Running also helps develop a strong and toned body.