If you follow regularly, you know that I've had ups and downs. I had a difficult pregnancy that ended in a c-section (with recovery time) and two other surgeries (with recovery time). I tried to stay positive even though I missed running, hiking, biking, and visiting the gym. I recently came across the ASICS #DEARSHOES campaign and it resonated with me because I have felt many ups and downs in recent years. I've been following #DEARSHOES on social media for the past few weeks because there are many motivating posts that lifted my spirits. In today's post, I'll share tips that helped me to get back into running after extensive downtime. I'll also tell you about some great deals to score from ASICS, including a running app and 15% discount on shoes at ASICS stores.
Let me start by sharing that each day is a gift to try to live our best life possible. We all have ups and downs. One of the best things in life is that we usually have the opportunity to correct mistakes and to move forward. I hope that the tips below give you encouragement that even small steps often add up to create exciting progress.
1. Work with your physician(s).
The number one most important tip is to work with your personal physician(s). They know your personal history and are there to help. Be open and honest. Try not to feel embarrassed about being overweight or out of shape. Their job is to help you to be healthy. It's a rewarding feeling for many doctors when patients seek their help and work hard to accomplish their health goals.
2. Start somewhere even if it seems minimal.
While I wasn't allowed to run for a while, my doctor approved light walks. I took this seriously and walked for as long as I found comfortable. I started with 5 minute walks, but stayed positive by thinking about how I was making progress toward returning back to normal. In time, I worked my way up to longer walks and even running.
3. Track your progress with the RUNKEEPER app.
It's rewarding to see progress. I mentioned that I started at 5 minute walks. It felt sad at the time, but now I look back and am happy that I was so dedicated to moving as much as permitted at the time. That attitude served me well. If you graph going from 5 minute walks to 2 hour walks to long runs, it is exciting. I loved the visualization of my results that continued to have an upward trajectory! The RUNKEEPER app is fantastic because it not only helps you to visualize progress, but also contains helpful training tips and even virtual challenges. I definitely recommend that you give it a try. Your first 7 days are free, then it costs just $39.99/year with in-app upgrade. Visit here to learn more.
4. Use your support system.
It's funny that when we feel at our worst, we are often embarrassed to ask others for help. In the meantime, most friends and family want the best for us and are quick to help us to heal our pain. Personally, my husband was my biggest supporter and went on walks every evening with me for months. We both loved the opportunity to bond by walking and talking in the evenings. My husband is a runner, so he switched his runs to the morning in order to be able to take long (and slow) walks with me in the evenings. Eventually, I was able to run again and we were able to go on runs too!
5. Gather inspiration from others.
Many people have fallen from their peak health to a sedentary lifestyle and recovered back again to excellent health. Maybe your setback was a surgery that required a lengthy recovery, a stressful job that made you cancel your gym membership and eat quick meals to your detriment, or some other reason. You need to stay positive and move forward. Don't let past setbacks ruin your hope. Personally, I initially struggled to share about my own issues because I felt vulnerable about being inactive and overweight. However, as I recovered, I realized that I didn't want to feel embarrassment about the weight gain, but rather I wanted to help myself, move forward, and, if possible, help others. Surprisingly, the internet was a source of motivation to me. Does that surprise you? The internet is often a hostile place if you read comments on news articles and so on, but there are some happy places out there. (I hope that you consider my blog one of the happy places on the web!) Over the past few weeks, another happy place on the web has been the #DEARSHOES campaign on social media. This hashtag is part of an ASICS campaign for people to share their ups and downs. There is a lot of positive action with this hashtag from many people. The diversity of customers, but consistency of positive attitudes is inspirational. It's also fun to see all of the different backgrounds and shoes. I'm obsessed. The posts make me want to be a runner. There is so much optimism with this campaign! My favorite social media platforms with #DEARSHOES users are Instagram and Twitter.
6. Buy good shoes.
My husband and I are both runners. I had a leave of absence as I recovered from surgeries and am happy to be a runner again. My husband runs at least 35 miles/week. I'm not quite there yet, but I am running again and plan to eventually catch up to him. We've both been fans of ASICS for years. This is the ultimate brand for runners. Personally, good quality and supportive shoes are something that I never skimp on for my family. As a former runner who is back to running again, I know how critical good footwear is because I have felt the difference. My husband insists on ASICS shoes for the same reason - he wants to be a healthy runner and views the best shoes as a good investment. As a mom, my children's little bodies are still growing, so I think that shoes with good support are critical to their development. Now that my tween is quite active with running and biking, he depends on ASICS too.
If you are wondering about our favorite shoes, they are the Men's Gel-Nimbus 21 and the Women's Gel-DS Trainer 24.
ASICS shoes are excellent quality and preferred by many runners, so they aren't inexpensive, but if you factor in the quality and good support, I think that they are the optimal brand of shoes. We love the comfort, support, and that their shoes also hold up very well. (Haven't we all been tempted to buy cheap shoes at some point in time to later find that they fell apart quickly? I've never had that experience with ASICS. Every pair that we have purchased over the past 20+ years have held up well.) Plus, they currently have a deal at ASICS stores to save 15%. If you visit a participating ASICS store and drop used pairs of shoes or clothing in clean, dry condition into an in-store I:CO bin, a store associate will give you a 15% reward coupon that may be used on the same-day toward your next in-store ASICS purchase. Even better, the wearable items find new homes as second-hand goods to extend their life. Unwearable items are reimagined and get a new chance as other products such as cleaning cloths or recycled into fibers for insulation, carpet padding, furniture stuff, and even new clothing. I love the environmentally friend deal!
Thank you for reading about my experience. I hope that my tips help you and/or anyone else that you know!
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