This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme for this year is Body Image asking us how we think and feel about our bodies using the hashtag #bebodykind.

 

The Mental Health Foundation have many resources on their website and for the theme this year they quote:

‘Having body image concerns is a relatively common experience and is not a mental health problem in and of itself; however, it can be a risk factor for mental health problems.’

They have included some statistics around the topic also that note:

• 1 in 5 adults have felt shame because of their body image in the last year
• Over a third of adults in the UK have felt anxious or depressed because of concerns over their body image
• 1 in 5 UK adults have said images on social media have caused them to worry about their body image

First of all I want to say I love any initiative to increase awareness around mental health but lets remember that for those that suffer from any form of mental illness this is life for them that they live with that struggle every day.  So lets open the door for discussion but ensure we continue the momentum after this week.

I would also like to note that I do not personally suffer from mental health issues and so will not claim to be an expert in any way, however, some of the closest people to me in my life do and I can see first hand on a daily basis how different areas of mental health affect people.  I wrote a blog last year on this very subject that you can read here.

So my blog is called Fat Girl Fit and it is not intended as an offensive name but yes I am aware I am not the same size as the models in the magazine and yes I have cried about my body and the parts I hate but that no that does not stop me from doing my thing with a smile on my face.

My blog started when I was on a fitness and weight loss journey and I will admit I was in a routine where I would post on a weekly basis as an update with what weight I had lost on my ‘weigh in Monday’.  This soon turned into something that was quite toxic and left me feeling terrible about myself.  I also soon realised that was not what my blog was about and instead I turned my focus to being a healthier and happier me.  I wrote a blog post on that change that you can read here.

I can’t claim that I don’t still get people look me up and down when I say what crazy event I have planned next but you know what that says more about them than it does about me.  It has taken me a long time not to let those glances upset me.

And also lets be real here I do still want to lose more weight and that doesn’t make me a terrible person either.  There is so much ‘be body positive’ talk and I am completely on board with that but there is also nothing wrong if you want to lose some weight either.  There is nothing wrong with having a moan about that god awful event photo, because lets face it they are mostly unflattering, but then take a step back and think wow my body helped me achieve that goal.

Yes you have a bikini body now – you have a body put it in a bikini and voila!  But you want to be fitter and healthier then so be it – don’t apologise for that either but just do it because you want it and not because of what you believe you should do because you are told so from society.

My new strapline to my blog at the end of last year changed to read ‘be fearlously unapologetically you’ and I have learned that my body is fierce and strong.  So a shout out to all those who have been on the same journey and are learning that after a lifetime of believing that losing weight was all they had to offer the world that they were so wrong and they are worth more than that number on the scales, because your weight is not your worth!

F*ck perfection!  Embrace the body you have and all its imperfections and remember that fit isn’t a size, its a feeling so continue to do you and smile whilst you do it, giving a big cheery middle finger to all those that think you don’t fit the mould, the stereotype, the people we see in the glossy magazines.  Because I am sure they are air brushed to hell!  I am also sure they have their own insecurities too that they are also dealing with.  That old saying about being kind because you don’t know what battles others are fighting.

Think about what impression you are leaving on future generations as they grow up influenced by those around them.  They should grow up with a healthy relationship to food and their bodies.

There was actually a song last year by Little Mix and I love the lyrics:

So repeat after me – I am an absolute f*cking babe and projections from others will not define me!

And if you want the cake then bloody well eat it – life is too short!

#bebodykind

 

They say you can do it if you put your back in to it but at the moment I am having issues with my back so that saying is not for me right now, but what can I do to change that?

I have had a bike fit but recently I have been having real issues with my lower back when cycling.  Tingling even to the point of numbness.  Not a terrible pain to stop me in my tracks but more of a dull ache that is uncomfortable and causes me to shift around in the saddle hoping the change in position helps.

So what could be causing it?  According to British Cycling there is no one issue but it could be related to poor mobility, conditioning or bike set up.  They have some great routines I have started doing for both:

• upper body mobilsation
• back and lower body mobilisation

Both of the above take just over 15 minutes in total so should be easy for me to include in my training and hopefully see some good benefits.

I have also found some great cycling specific yoga sessions online, including this one from GCN.

As I said I have had a bike fit and the set up on my bike is comfortable so I have spoken to some people around me who are more knowledgeable on the subject.

I have changed my training schedule and replaced my previous gym sessions with CrossFit, which I love and is great but I perhaps need to focus more on my core.  A physio I know suggested that the tingling and numbness would indicate it could be nerve related so I will be investigating that further with them.

Back issues on the bike are often related to a weak core and therefore improving core strength can see massive benefits.  So what sort of exercises does that include?  Things like:

• glute bridges
• planking – all variations including forearm, straight arm, with a leg lift, side plank and adapting to include the thread the needle exercise too
• tabletop leg press
• lying lateral leg lifts
• cat/cow
• supermans
• scissor kicks
• boat pose
• single leg crunches
• kettlebell swings
• deadlifts
• bent over rows

Back pain when cycling is also the biggest issue for most cyclists and according to Cycling Weekly:

‘Given how hard your legs work on the bike, it’s natural to assume that when an overuse injury strikes, it’s your knees that will be most vulnerable. Surprisingly however, the research says otherwise. It seems the biggest culprit is not knee pain in cyclists – it’s lower back pain.’

It can also arise from pushing big gears, especially when climbing, and anyone who has cycled with me knows that I am guilty of this and it is a running joke to shout cadence as my husband does to remind me of this very fact!

Cycling Tips have an article on lower back pain when cycling and their finishing quote just about sums me up.  So many people say will you stop cycling after an accident or injury – absolutely not!

‘Unless you want to swap your road bike for something with a bell and a basket, you need to be able to tolerate a forward-flexed position. The exercises described above are designed to help you achieve that position for longer and with less discomfort.  They’ll also help you improve your performance on the bike. Outstanding.’

So watch this space and I will let you know how I get on and if you’ve experienced something similar get in touch and share your tips please and thank you!

At the end of the previous two years I have looked back and seen just what I have been up to and at the end of last year I finished with a knee injury so my start to this year was not ideal.  At the beginning of August this year I was knocked off my bike and it meant that I needed medical treatment for that and I lost a couple of months on the bike and it is surprising how quickly that bike and run fitness goes (not that my run fitness has ever been spectacular but I still do it though I had really made improvements on the bike and was so pleased with my progress so would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed)!  So I finish the year not quite where I want to be BUT with lots of bike plans for next year and a new bike for it too!

I have learned that as frustrating as injuries are that they happen to most of us and its how you deal with it that really matters so I pull up my big girl knickers and get on with it.  Being part of cycle, run and triathlon clubs I am surrounded by amazingly inspirational people, however, no one is exempt from injuries.  A couple of people specifically to note include my gorgeous friend Liv who was knocked off her bike during Ironman Staffordshire 70.3 and had a lengthy recovery in and out of hospital after suffering a host of injuries including a broken jaw but still went on to complete Ironman Italy!  Also my husband who has an ongoing issue with his leg that also sees him hospitalised but each time he picks himself back up and carries on and also completed Ironman Italy.  They both stuck a big middle finger up to their injuries and completely took on their challenging comebacks and proved how tough they really are.

So I learned that when injured you just have to adjust your plan and often the comeback is sweeter.

Despite the setback I am still able to look back and see what I completed including:

• Winter Run 10k, always a favourite to start the year off
• Spartan Sprint, Super and Beast earning me my second Trifecta and another year as a Spartan Ambassador
• Tough Mudder 5k, Half and Full as part of Mudder Woman
• Another training camp with Havering Tri at Club La Santa
• Thorpe Park half marathon, The Big Half marathon
• Outlaw Nottingham 70.3 triathlon completing the bike leg as a relay team with two amazing ladies
• London to Southend bike ride and being first female to finish!
• Spitfire Scramble 24 hour relay run with the awesome ladies that are Team Scrambled Legs
• I Move London Relay completing two stages and being part of the social media team around this as the inspirational Danny Bent set out and achieved breaking a Guinness Record with 30 days on continuous running!
• The Elements OCR and I love this event, so much fun
• Essex 100 mile bike ride for Action Medical Research with one of my best friends, Laura, who is a Specialized ambassador with the ladies she has been riding with this year
• Colour Run and Run or Dye
• Rough Runner
• Nuclear Blast and Blackout
• Commando Series
• Beachy Head Marathon, which was one of the hardest things I have ever done!

In addition to the above I have taken a different approach to my planning and trying to train smarter for better results.

I tried my hand a time trialling on the bike too though I am yet to do a solo TT and instead opted for a 2-up but intend to do more next year and brave the solo effort!

I also joined a CrossFit gym!  I have wanted to for so long and was so nervous but it was all worrying for nothing and the lovelies at Iron Phoenix CrossFit have been brilliant!

I have changed the strapline to my blog as I have learned through this process it is not about weight loss it is more important for me to be healthier and happier.  It now reads ‘Be Fearlessly Unapologetically You’ and that is me!

I already have the following events planned for 2019 and its all about the bike!

• Tour de Broads – 100 mile bike ride
• Ride for Helen – 100 mile bike ride
• Tjejvattern – 62 mile bike ride
• Halvvattern – 93 mile bike ride
• Vatternrundan – 186.4 mile bike ride
• Ironman Jonkoping 70.3 – bike leg of the relay (56 miles)
• London to Southend – 52 mile bike ride
• Prudential Ride London – 46 mile bike ride

There will be a lot more bike added to the above so if you know of any good events or fancy a ride let me know!

I recently found out that I had made the shortlist for nominations for the Sport & Fitness category of the UK Blog Awards.  It spurred me on to think about the blog – why I started it and where I am now.

So I started the blog after embarking on a fitness and weight loss journey.  In a bid to hide the fact that I was overweight and terribly unfit I would attempt to use humour to hide the fact that most of the time I was terrified of whatever it was I was doing and also hence the name of the blog.  Some friends said I should write a blog and that is basically how it all began.

It is a personal blog and I am clear that I am not qualified in any way in fitness or nutrition but what I share is based on my experience and if I do give advice it is following what I have received from those who are qualified so I can make sure I am not sharing anything that is not misleading or with no understanding.

I would update a blog post every Monday and include a weigh in picture of a little board I have to show progress.  Then I hit a plateau and this changed – no more weigh in board pics.  This is not a negative as it actually taught me a valuable lesson as it meant I was putting less pressure on myself.

My blog is not necessarily the norm.  It is not about the facts and detailing the specifics of a piece of tech.  I like to add a bit of my personality to it and there is humour and sometimes some swearing.  It is not intended to be offensive but it is me.  I am trying to keep it authentic otherwise what is the point?  I am who I am.  I will not try and be someone or something else through this blog.  This blog is not intended to gain approval.

I intend to be my own kind of strong, my own kind of fabulous and my own kind of beautiful.  I am not in competition with anyone else.  I will run my own race (or more than likely jog a bit and walk a bit).  I fully intend to continue to embrace the glorious mess that I am.

There is a saying from JK Rowling asking is fat really the worst thing you can be?  And many more about how the number on a scale does not define you.  By focusing on weight was I sending the complete wrong message to anyone reading my posts?  More than that I realised that the journey I was on getting fitter was about my health and that was my goal – to be healthy and happy.

And so with that you will see the change in wording of my blog strap line.  It no longer says ‘An ordinary girl on a mission to get fit and lose weight’.  Morale of the story – be fearlessly unapologetically you!

This year has flown by and not before long Christmas will be here.  We are already seeing everything in the shops, people have put up their trees and decorations (not me I hasten to add) and people want to know what it is you want for Christmas.

I am that person who doesn’t know.  Literally no idea what I want.  I am not one for ‘stuff’ and would much rather go somewhere or do something than receive a gift just because that is the norm.

However, there are many items I have that I am sure could benefit others if they are on the same fitness journey as I and so I thought I would share some ideas around that.  I am also trying to keep it affordable – fitness can be expensive!  I remember my husband telling me getting a bike would save us so much money – he would commute, use the car less blah blah blah.  Then I started cycling….even the essentials cost a pretty penny when you add it all up.  So I am trying to keep it affordable and with Black Friday tomorrow there is additional money off too – you’re welcome!

Cycling/Running:

Socks – usually £8 but £4.80 in the Black Friday sale – it’s obligatory to get socks at Christmas right?  A great collection from Primal for cycling with the unicorns being my favourite (obviously).

Safety bracelet – £15 – this was one of my favourite presents last year from a cycling friend of mine from One Life ID.  It is a rubber band with emergency details on and I use when running and cycling.

Buff – from £3 – another item great for both running and cycling or even if just out and about in winter months.  Decathlon have a good range of colours.

Yoga:

Mat – usually £17 but down to £12.75 in the Black Friday sale – my yoga mat is from Yoga Matters and is the sticky mat and recommended to me when I started with hot yoga.  As the name suggests it doesn’t slip, which is great for use at home on wooden floors.

Yoga mat strap – usually £4.50 but down to £3.38 in the Black Friday sale – ease of transporting if I take to a class.  It literally just loops round each end and acts as a strap you can put over your shoulder.

Yoga mat towel – usually £26 but down to £18 in the Black Friday sale – that sits on top of the mat, again super grippy and really good for hot yoga as it means I can easily wash the towel after use.

Home workouts:

Kettlebells – £30 – I will admit I have used many a kettlebell workout from different online sources and they’re great as small pieces of kit that can easily be put away (I don’t have the space for something like a treadmill).  I got a starter kit from Amazon to begin with.

Resistance bands – usually £25.99 but down to £19.99 in the Black Friday sale – I learned from a friend who is an awesome personal trainer about the many uses of resistance bands and how I can use them outside of the gym to get in full workouts.  I got this set from Amazon.

Skipping rope – £7 – I got one from Amazon so I can try and get better at skipping for when it appears on a WOD at CrossFit (pink of course).

Miscellaneous:

Trucker cap – who doesn’t love a good cap?  For use casually or to run in.  Collections by loads of different suppliers but at the moment one of my firm favourites has to be from Stomp The Pedal – usually £25 but 50% off for Black Friday with code Style50.

Bobble hat – £20 – I mean it is freezing and especially after training I seem to live in my bobble hats (plus it hides the sweaty hair).

Reusable water bottle – usually £15 but down to £11.99 in the Black Friday sale – A firm favourite of mine are my Hydrate M8 bottles for both at home and work to make sure I am drinking enough water.  They have catchy little quotes and measurements down the sides so you know how much you should be drinking.

Reusable coffee cup – from £10 – we all stop regularly for tea/coffee even if to and from work and a reusable cup is much better for the environment.  Keep Cup have a range of different designs and sizes and you can even create your own.

Notepad – I write down all my workouts and use it as a reference to see what went well and bad.  I also put in future events so I can work my training schedule back to know what I need to do in the lead up.  You can get a notepad from pretty much anywhere though I am using one from Paperchase, usually £14 but down to £9.80 in the Black Friday sale – which is a week per view.

Skincare – if you train outside a lot then your skin can really be exposed to all the elements.  I have been using the two step routine from CJ Skinhealth and love it.  Active Cleanse is £14 and Enhance & Protect is £28.

Foam roller – £30 – a necessary evil that we should probably all do more often after exercise to stretch and loosen the muscles and don’t because lets face it, its not fun.  I have a Triggerpoint foam roller though there are many different sizes and designs available to purchase.

Voucher for a sports massage – because if you are working out a sports massage is always a benefit.  You also can’t go wrong with Radox Muscle soak for the bath and from £1 and it fits in a stocking!

Happy Shopping!

What do you know of CrossFit?  To me it was this thing I watched on TV and was amazed at these people who appeared to be super human.  I had the pleasure of seeing it up close and personal earlier in the year when I was at training camp at Club La Santa Lanzarote with my triathlon club, Havering Tri, as there were some CrossFit Games athletes there training.  Yes, I was the person who asked for a photo and I was the person who walked past and ended up standing staring in amazement at what these people can do.

I was so intrigued with what was involved and when I found that there was a CrossFit box close to home I knew I wanted to give it a try and that is how I started with Iron Phoenix CrossFit.  That was over a month ago now and I’ve had several people ask me about it – what is it like, what do we do, that were exactly the same sort of questions that I had.

What is CrossFit? CrossFit is constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity.

I first of all took part in a free taster session so I could join in and see what it was all about and I dragged my husband along so I would at least know one other person.  I left a sweaty mess but loved it.  The worst bit was listening to my husband moan about his abs for the rest of the week.

To attend regular sessions you have to attend a fundamentals class.  The fundamentals is necessary to complete prior to attending sessions to teach you how to move safely and effectively.  Once this was complete I was good to go.

I had heard that CrossFit is like a community and the people in the box are all super friendly and they were right.  I attend the 6am sessions and so see the same faces and that actually makes me feel more comfortable.  The sessions are different every day and one of the ladies I’ve met, Jules, has been at this box for 18 months and said she’s never done the same WOD twice.

And I realise I’ve said WOD, which some people will read and be like yeah I know what you are saying or if you are like I was when I first started I would nod my head and wonder what all these weird acronyms were so here are some:

• WOD – workout of the day.  I found a definition of this once which described it as tortuous, makes you want to cry, feel like a rock star after, workout – which is pretty damn accurate!
• AMRAP – as many rounds/reps as possible.  You might be asked to record the reps so you can track progress.
• EMOM – every minute on the minute.  You might be set a list of exercises and every minute on the minute you do them in a certain order.
• Box – this is the name for the gym.  Why is it called a box?  A box is usually a box shaped space – no posters or mirrors that you would get in an everyday gym.  Think less bells and whistles but everything you need to get your workout done.
• RX – this refers to a WOD as prescribed ie with no scaling done so using weights etc as listed.
• HSPU – hand stand push up.  I don’t need to worry about this for now.

There are a ton more but to be honest I am only a month in and I am still learning this myself.

What happens if you can’t do something?  I tend not to look in advance at the workouts as I am sure I would talk myself out of going but there would be no need as literally everything can be scaled.  For example handstand push ups you could do that or a scaled version where you kneel on a box and simulate the same movement doing the push up part on the floor or you can do a push up with hands on the box.  In short there is always an alternative to give you just as good a workout and still push you based on your ability.

Does other training help do CrossFit?  I run (terribly) and do obstacle runs (again not brilliantly) and cycle and so thought I am sure that will translate in some way for example on the assault bike.  The assault bike is not an ordinary bike, you use both your arms and legs on it – you need to pump the handle bars with your arms while also cycling with your legs to give more of a full body exercise.  It’s not the same as cycling or even being on a turbo trainer so I am not sure much of my cycling ability helps at all!

What if you are the slowest or get the least amount of reps?  At the end of some of the WODs you put your score on the board – this might be the number of reps you completed or the time you took to complete a set workout.  This terrified me to begin with – the thought of putting up what I assumed would be an embarrassing number compared to other peoples.  BUT I can honestly say no one cares!  Not once have I worried about putting a score on the board.  There is a variation of exercises being done for example in the WOD on Monday one activity had the following scaling options:

• Muscle up or chest to bar or pull ups or ring rows or dips

So in short the number completed is completely personal to you and not comparable.  The idea is to put in max effort for you and that is all.

What should you expect from the sessions?  To be sweaty, tired but feel great after – much like the definition of the term WOD that I put earlier.  I am not worried any longer about working on a piece of equipment with sweat literally dripping off me.  I am not worried about finishing a WOD and just laying on the floor – I didn’t even care when I left a sweaty arse mark on the floor – I was too tired from the WOD itself to care and to be honest there were several of us laying on the floor spent! Towards the end of a WOD earlier in the week I fully thought my wall ball was on point but was tired and clearly not enough effort – ended up completely missing the target and the ball went across the box – yep I’m that girl!

What are the coaches like?  I can only go by the coaches at Iron Phoenix but so far I have had Ashley, Alina, Ian, Omar, and Lucy and they’ve all been great.  Really patient even with all my stupid questions especially after the briefing of what we will be doing when they say everyone understand what they are doing and everyone nods and I laugh and say I don’t understand all of it but will follow someone else or ask again what something means.  Always on hand with loads of tips and advice.  Constantly watching that form is correct, monitoring progress and amending scaling as necessary – on Monday I was doing my box jumps standing on two 20kg plates rather than the floor (box jumps are something I need more confidence with as I am never sure I will actually jump high enough to land on the box and sure I will just whack my shin on the corners) and Omar noticed I was jumping high enough to remove one of the plates whilst putting my mind at rest that I am jumping high enough to do so – and I didn’t whack my shins either so bonus!

Do you need to stretch?  There is always a dynamic warm up session before any workout so you are completely ready and stretching after, in my opinion, is a must.  You are doing so many different exercises and utilising muscles you might not usually use that without stretching you will become sore and stiff pretty quickly!  I have started doing yoga at home following my sessions and it definitely helps me.

And who knew skipping was so bloody hard? It’s like when you try monkey bars as an adult and think yeah did that as a kid, going to nail it. Ha think again! Skipping is exhausting and double unders? Basically the skipping rope going round twice per jump – wowsers that’s going to take some work!

So why should you try it?  Well why not?  I find myself explaining it to people as so hard but so good and it is just that.

If you are local to me as well there is an awesome offer on at Iron Phoenix CrossFit that includes a free taster session, fundamentals and then 12 sessions after that for £60.

Being physically active is so beneficial to not only your physical health but also our overall well-being. It’s something that I have become more aware of and is being spoken about more widely over the past year. I have some very special people in my life who suffer with different forms of mental health issues and whilst I don’t personally, seeing how it affects them makes this something I am keen to understand better. I should note I am not a professional in this area and this post is not intended to offend in any way – something I am very conscious of with it being such a sensitive subject.

My husband has spoken out the past couple of years about his own struggle with depression, stress and anxiety and so this hits home very close for us and this post was written with those people I mentioned above and includes quotes directly from them.  They all suffer from different forms of mental health issues and fitness and self-care are the main, non-medical, ways in which they help to keep this under control.  Here my husband speaks about this below:

Exercise, for me, is paramount to my overall well-being and without regular sessions I quickly become my own enemy. The daily struggles range from not wanting to get out of bed, talk to anyone, letting personal hygiene lapse to anything as bad as totally shutting myself off from the world for days on end.  I’m not saying this is the answer to a well-balanced mind and something that will get rid of the issues of depression, anxiety or stress but it does help.

I’m extremely lucky to have an amazing wife who took the time to research, understand and got to learn and know the signs of when I’m going into a bad place.  Exercise for me is the key and she is incredibly aware of this and encourages me to do any form to make me feel better and it works.

Having come to terms with the mental health issues I have was the first step I found to really understand and get better, recognising the signs of a re-lapse is paramount to remaining the best you can be.  Having these issues is not a weakness and honestly I think it is the complete opposite, strength within comes from those who know they need help and want to overcome their issues. My daily worries range anything from being body conscious,  doubting myself to not becoming ‘that friend’ who is down again.  I’m lucky to have a great group of friends who have been there for me in the low times as well as the great.

 I’m a very open to talk about my issues and feeling and a big advocate for others to do this as this is the only way the stigma is going to be broken.

 The help is there and I encourage those to seek out the answers they want to make them feel better.  

Mental health has in the past been something people tend not to talk about and is often a taboo subject, however, awareness appears to be on the up with more people talking honestly about different mental health conditions and how they cope with this. Mental health and fitness is often something that comes up time and time again as this is something people find helpful for their mental health and in helping to stop the stigma and overcome barriers that surround this subject.  This can only be a positive thing especially as 1 in 6 people suffer from a mental health illness.

Mental health conditions or diagnoses comes in all different shapes and sizes and I think this is the first misconception by many who haven’t had any such experiences, or know people who do.  All too often you hear comments such as “you look ok?” or “you don’t look depressed?” I want to ask what does mental health look like?  A very close friend of mine who is a mental health professional added this:

I guess I have always been someone who worries about things.  This could be anything from “What should I wear?” “Will I fit in?” “Should I eat this?” to, “am I doing a good job?” “Am I quick enough?”. 

Last year I started to have really bad panic attacks. It started one afternoon at work, out of the blue – or so I thought. Things had been unsettled in my workplace for a while and there were some big changes happening in my personal life. I didn’t put them together or think they could be some of the root of the problem at first. I didn’t like to think of myself as having weaknesses, which if I’m honest is how viewed this.  

I was so worried about what people at work would think if they knew I was having panic attacks, worried the view would be that I couldn’t cope or work to the best of my ability. 

Some key moments I remember is a close friend saying “I didn’t realise panic attacks were a thing for you” and a colleague stating “I never would have known, you were so together at work”. 

My partner noticed that I had stopped exercising regularly, and reflected that I was generally happier/more ‘me’ when I did. I’d been to my GP who gave me the option of medication and talking therapy. I had already found a counsellor online, as I didn’t feel I could wait for NHS services. This helped me hugely over the period of about a year.  

It was a real struggle but I made myself get back to exercising. It wasn’t regular,  or for very long, but it really did help me. I love swimming, and some days all I wanted was to be in the pool. I might only swim for 15-20minutes but it felt good. I started yoga and got back to running, sometimes alone and at others with friends. Some of the friends knew what I had been struggling with,  others didn’t.  It didn’t matter so much, it was being out in the fresh air and moving that was helping me. The social side was an added bonus to that, I love to chat! 

Over time I have really come to value exercise because of how it helps me. I still worry, I get low sometime,  I don’t want to do or see anyone, I don’t always exercise. When I do, it’s good. It doesn’t matter about intensity, length of exercise or what it is. I value it because it’s good for my Mental Health & general well-being. 

I will do my best not to judge myself on my performance, but the movement, according to what I need at the time.  After all, my life is for me, not other people.  

Fitness can have such a positive impact on not just your body but also your mind. It can help with stress relief, increase energy levels, reduce anxiety, increase confidence, self-esteem, help with sleep and provide an overall boost to mind and body.  A qualified personal trainer with exercise referral and client psychology quoted the below.

Exercise has massively helped and continues to help my mental health. The gym or the outdoors never judges you or makes you feel bad. When I’ve been at my lowest in the past getting out and exercising whether it’s in a gym or outside has really helped me and is the reason why I retrained and joined the fitness industry. Now whilst I’m maintaining my mental health I also get to help others improve theirs. You always hear about the endorphins that are released when you exercise but it doesn’t have to be that scientific, what about the social side of the gym, or the ‘you time’ away from life’s stressed and worries. No matter the duration of the workout!

An amazing man I met from OCR, Stuart Amory, recently completed his ‘Run of Gratitude‘ for Mind charity.  This run started from his house in South West London to his girlfriends house in Aberdeenshire, which meant Stuart covered approximately 50km per day for 17 days.  To quote Stuart the reason for the run ‘I am running to my girlfriend to show gratitude for what I have in life…legs that work, support from friends, family and some major companies.’ On Stuarts website you can see his blog posts as he recounts the run and his mental account of it here.

You can find a lot more information available on this subject from many different resources including:

• mental health charity, Mind
• Mental Health Foundation who explain the link between mental health and movement here and also have a publication to download on how to look after your mental health using exercise that you can find here
• Rethink who provide help and support for those affected by mental illness
• Heads Together a mental health initiative spearheaded by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex
• Calm (charity focusing on mental health in men) are also great resources
• NHS have a large amount of resource with regards to mental health including a Moodzone discussing common problems, tips and advice and real stories

I would also recommend The Mental Health Podcast and to quote the two awesome ladies behind this ‘aims to break the stigma around mental health. Bethan and Laureen know a bit about mental health, they both live with mental illnesses. In one episode they discuss why we shouldn’t confuse a common condition with something that’s normal. ‘

You can read more from Bethan on her blog at Bethan Taylor-Swaine, one of my favourite blogs to follow and refreshingly honest in her accounts of keeping both physically and mentally fit.

My biggest take away from being around people who are suffering with their mental health is that it is ok not to be ok.  According to the Mental Health Foundation 1 in 6 adults experience a mental health problem and 1 in 5 adults have considered taking their own life at some point due to the daily struggles they live with and so it is important to break the stigma and talk about it.