Run Your Way to Fitness

Over the last few years, has your weight steadily increased? Do you wonder where that svelte teenager who could eat and drink anything without putting on a pound has gone? Has maybe tomorrow become your mantra when you think about taking action? Or have you sadly accepted that this is now me and you're too set and busy to change?

Let me tell you that, with the right choices, this is not you. It's not easy, and if you want to feel successful, nothing is.

There are lots of promises out there about the one key diet or just doing this one exercise and you will look like the picture; they are not true. I'm sorry to tell you it takes time, effort, and above all, mental discipline.

Six years ago, I reached 83.5kg, the heaviest I'd ever been, and at 44, it was becoming more difficult to shift. I looked around for a good gym offer and found one. The only trouble was that I found it hard to motivate myself to go.

Yes, it was easy, to begin with; after the induction, you are raring to go, but after a few weeks, I just wanted to be home after work, and the mornings were too much of a rush. How much extra money did I waste before I got around to canceling? Does that story sound familiar?

Why not try running? One of the first things I discovered that helped me was the Couch-to-5k app. It is very encouraging, and it starts you off by splitting running and walking until you reach the goal of 5 km.

With three scheduled runs a week, it increases running time over walking.

The next step is the 5K Park Run, a worldwide organization to get people moving. At 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning, people of all ages, sizes, and abilities gather at the starting line.

They track your progress and publish the results later that morning. You can keep track of PBs and how you do against the competition.

After running with Park Run for a while, the next step is to enter an organized event. These are well organized, and there are different distances to sign up for. This is an ideal opportunity to try for 10 km.

You have a set date to aim for and can upgrade your training accordingly. The feeling you get after beating the 10 kilometers is phenomenal.