Powering It Through

I think I may have one of the loveliest running routes in the UK. I jog out of the studios, up some steps and turn left and that is the boring bit over. From there on in its running up hill past the dockyards, into the costal woodlands around the beaten down old castle that looks out to the sea then down towards the beaches and the cliff routes between them. I am in love with my route. I have never ran anywhere more beautiful. 

If running isn't your thing then don't by any means force yourself into it. Find something you enjoy there are too many possibilies to use the excuse 'sport just doesn't interest me'; Gym, Tennis, Football, Rugby, Athletics, Dancing, Cycling, Badminton, Netball, Basketball, Zumba, Aerobics, Swimming... oh so many exciting activities!

The thing with running is it can be the most fantastic feeling in the world and at other times it is the very last thing you want to be doing. If you decide to start running remember that the first month or so will be the toughest you will want to give up and find a million excuses to. After a while, however, you will get to the point that if you go a week without stepping out the door in a pair of not-so-white-anymore trainers your mind and body will be crying out for a bit of exercise! For example right now I haven't run in 3 days... that's pretty long for me and my body if desperate to be out jogging in the evening breeze but I've got to be somewhere soon so I have to wait until morning. 

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall Make Us feel Like Pretty Girls Again

 

As a generation we are probably one of the most body conscious and image based there has ever been. The obvious answer to all this is our love hate relationship with the media, never before has there been so many movies, glossy magazines and blogs to follow all full of beautiful men and women with the perfect figure, the perfect hair, make up, styles etc. I'm not about to rant and moan about how we should ignore the obvious draw of the media to look perfect; that models and actresses are the 'them' and we will never reach those dizzy heights (though I'll be the first to admit that no one is perfect and there is this beautiful thing called photoshopping and image editing that magazine editors just looovveee). In all honesty, in my opinion, body image is something completely personal and only you can change how you feel about your figure.

I have struggled with body image for as long as I could read. I remember looking as a child at the thick messy brunette hair on my head that I now love and thinking that I looked like a boy. Back then the craze in my primary school was braiding and long sleek straight hair. My mother insisted (and rightly so) that my hair was to be no longer than shoulder length because she just couldn't bare my moaning when she tried to drag a brush through it! Thus no long sleek hair and no braids for little me.