Hello I’m new to running which I’m doing for low mood and general fitness

[RalmagePH]

I started C25K 6 weeks ago. I haven’t told anybody I’m doing it! I’m amazed that I’ve got this far - I started out with the mindset of I can’t, I’ll fail, I’m useless at running, but over the weeks my body has proved my mind wrong! I’m running to improve my fitness but also my mental health as I am prone to low mood. I’ve only had 1 dip in the last 6 weeks (yesterday), so I’m interested to see whether it affects my running today, which is week 6, run 2.

[Wenderwoo Graduate]

Well done you for starting and getting so far - 2 thirds of the way through! I hope the run today will help to make you feel a little better 😁

[Grannyhugs Graduate]

Congratulations for getting this far through the pla. Now loads if people know. Well done also on improving your general mood- exercise is great for that. Unfortunately it isn't a cure but the self belief you are building in your progress through the plan can help you believe also that a mood blip is just that, a little blip that came from nowhere and if you can treat it as that and carry in with the plan there's no reason why the blip should turn into the normal. Mind games are difficult but they are just that and you are building wonderful resilience through running this plan. Be brave, fight those little mind niggles and run onwards. You are doing great.

[Keswickfan Graduate]

Well done for getting this far. I always feel better mood wise after a run. Keep going you can do this!! Good luck x

[Jogunlikely Graduate]

Funny how many of us start out in secret 😁 Congratulations on getting this far stick with it, the benefits can be life changing. I suffer from SAD so luckily Eeyore days are confined, pretty much, to a 3 or 4 month window.

On a rubbish day, knowing how good I will feel afterwards, is often incentive enough to get my butt out the door. Sometimes it's just round my short loop which is 12mins of running plus warm up and cool down. Enough to get the feel good factor.

Very best of luck with the rest of the program. Enjoy 👍👍👍

[Buddy34 Graduate]

Great for getting to wk6. Just keep going as you are it's obviously working for you.

Keep well hydrated 7 days a week not just on run days. Good luck 😊

[Alast]

WoW! Well done you for not only starting, but doing it undercover (so, up until now, without encouragement), and for getting so far! As everyone else has said, I'm sure that you will gain many benefits from doing this both physically, but more importantly mentally. I've only reached the start of week 3 so far, but the sense of achievement & well being I feel are well worth the effort, added to that the encouragement I get from my new mates on here is an added bonus. Keep it up and keep posting, you will get more encouragement from others, plus reading how everyone else is getting on is interesting & inspirational too.

[Hidden]

Well done on getting to week 6. I started this for improvements to my mental health. I was hoping to come off medication but that would be too risky as, Grannytobe said, it's not a cure. I use running as a tool to tackle my mood dips. Sometimes my low moods win but the most overriding feeling I have is that I know it's good for me. I often would not even get outside for weeks at a time but now I'm going outside 3 times a week to run. That was unheard of several months ago. When I felt bad, I posted on here and people were amazing and I can genuinely say, it kept me going on with this running lark.

I graduated yesterday and the smile on my face lasted until the evening. It has given me something to look forward too and when someone sends me a message it spurs me on to keep going.

I think you're doing amazing. Keep going, we're here for you 😊

[sTrongFuse Graduate]

Well done getting this far and good luck on the rest of the plan.

As someone who has battled depression for 30+ years, since starting out in March, I have definitely seen some improvements in my general outlook. I'm not sure if it's the regular exercise, the fresh air, the feel good from achieving some goals (first C25K then the new ones that I've set myself since) or (most likely) some combination of all of the above.

Like you, when I started, I was convinced I wouldn't succeed, but with every run ticked off, the belief grew. Then it was that I'd never possibly be able to run 10k and guess what, now I run that or further at least weekly. My body has decided it will prove my mind wrong every step of the way.

There are still bad days. There are still days when I really don't want to leave the house but, so far at least, I've always managed to get out there and run. The only runs I've missed have been through work/travel commitments and a filthy cold I had at the start of September.

Of course, you know how your mood cycles and what you are capable of on your less than good days, so what has worked for me might not apply in your case, but for me, discovering something that I enjoy and then not letting my mood prevent me from doing it has been a big help.

Hopefully your next run will be a good one, just take it slow and steady.

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

Well done it certainly helps us feel better about ourselves, keep it up and enjoy