Rule #1: Start Where You Are

Hooray! Today was my first time leading a run with Adventure Aide. Sure, it was with a friend (thanks Kev) but it’s a beginning! And I’m proud of just getting a single person out there.

A lot of people have a hard time getting started and sticking to running – or any fitness in general. Understandable! It isn’t exactly easy. It feels like a big undertaking and staring down an hour in the gym or an hour in a yoga class is like being told to hug a lion. Intimidating and a big eff no.

There’s no required amount of time or distance that you have to do for it to count. So start where you are. If you do zero today, maybe try 1 yoga move tomorrow. If you can run down the driveway today, try to run it twice tomorrow. If you park in the closest spot today, park a little farther from the door tomorrow.

Ease your body and brain into it. Start small. Seriously! Small. When you get used to small, make small a tad bigger. Don’t forget…you’re awesome wherever you are.

For the record, I started small. I just started a long time ago. I very gradually added on through the years; it took years to add half a mile onto my daily runs. I built my base at a pace that worked for me. I started small with yoga too – it took me a year of 10, 15, and 30-minute YouTube videos to think I could maybe do a full hour-long class.

Here are a few ways to start small:

• Walk for 10 minutes at lunch
• Or, if you know you can run 1 mile now, try running 1.5 miles
• 15-second planks
• Wake up and do 3 sun salutations

Make them a habit. And then, if you want to and are able, grow them into more.

And there’s my first actual piece of advice! My first real post. Ha! I did it, Ma!