Running is great therapy

If you’ve ever put on a pair of tekkies and hit the road for an hour’s walk or a few kilometers’ run, you’ll know that running clears your head in a way few other things do.

I’ve never been an especially sporty person but love the outdoors and as a born-and-bred Bushveld farm girl spent most of my childhood running wild among orange orchards, the surrounding game farm and playing in the Selati River.

My love of running started in my student years and I’ve since been dragged down streets by dogs, been stared down by zebras and waved at by friendly motorists on the R40.

For the past three weeks I’ve been exploring the area around my new home to find the perfect 5km and am working towards doing the 5km fun run at the Selati Marathon in two week’s time and hopefully the 10km next year.

Running actually has a lot of benefits and is one of easiest sports to get into. All you need is a pair of running shoes (in my case PEP sport shoes work the best) and determination.

Reasons why running is great:

• Saves you money on gym membership

• Helps build strong bones and strengthens muscles

• Keeps you fit and healthy

It also gives you a bit of alone time, to think about your problems or work through issues and find solutions. In my case it also gives me a hour to listen to music, a comedy series or an audiobook.

When you get back home from a job, your mind feels clearer and your problems weigh on you less…even if just for a short while.

If you have a smart phone, I suggest using a running app like Samsung Health’s tracker. It can help you run at a certain pace (and be very pushy if you slow down), for a certain distance or even follow a workout programme for your fitness level. You can also keep track of your distances and times and note how you approve, which is very useful.

It’s amazing how other runners are very happy to meet you on the road and are always encouraging. So if you pass someone else, smile and wave. It might be just what they need to keep going!