Why mental health is as important as physical health
I've lost count of the amount of people that I've spoken to since the beginning of VALA that use exercise as a way to improve their mental health. Whether it's as an antidote to stress or to burn off excess energy from being sat in a chair all day, exercise is something that we've collectively realised is hugely beneficial to our mind. During off-days when my anxiety or OCD is rearing its head and I’m sluggish after being sat at my desk all day, it can feel easier to stay home and watch Netflix instead of going for a run. However, lacing up my shoes, getting out of the door and taking those first few steps can be enough to brighten my mood and distract myself from my thoughts.
When my partner Dann first took up running during his transition to sobriety, these first few steps became the most important time in his day. Running gave him a sense of accomplishment and served as an alternate outlet to stressful days - a time when he once might have found other ways to let off steam. He replaced the highs of alcohol-fuelled nights out with runner's high and a steely determination to become a little bit faster each day. He held himself accountable and set weekly mileage goals, which developed into half-marathons and eventually full marathons. I saw him adopt a more positive mindset as his passion for running developed into somewhat of an obsession that became an integral part of his life (I'm sure I'm not the only partner to have witnessed this!).
Now he's just over three years sober and he proudly acknowledges that being active is a large part of his recovery. We joke that he's replaced one addiction with another and as he says himself “You can't take something away without putting something else in its place - running has given me all of the highs and thrills that I was craving. Whoever said you can't run from your problems probably hasn't taken up running!”.
When my partner Dann first took up running during his transition to sobriety, these first few steps became the most important time in his day. Running gave him a sense of accomplishment and served as an alternate outlet to stressful days - a time when he once might have found other ways to let off steam. He replaced the highs of alcohol-fuelled nights out with runner's high and a steely determination to become a little bit faster each day. He held himself accountable and set weekly mileage goals, which developed into half-marathons and eventually full marathons. I saw him adopt a more positive mindset as his passion for running developed into somewhat of an obsession that became an integral part of his life (I'm sure I'm not the only partner to have witnessed this!).
Now he's just over three years sober and he proudly acknowledges that being active is a large part of his recovery. We joke that he's replaced one addiction with another and as he says himself “You can't take something away without putting something else in its place - running has given me all of the highs and thrills that I was craving. Whoever said you can't run from your problems probably hasn't taken up running!”.