I ran today.
What I mean by “run” is “jog as far as I can, walk until I can breathe, and then try again.”
But here’s the thing: when I run, I find myself practicing mindfulness more than I do at almost any other time. I notice squirrels. Cardinals. Kids, cats, plants, flowers. The concrete. Cars. Trees. My breath. My body. And today — I got a treat. I saw a woodpecker.
I tend to want to write — or at least come up with ideas to write about — when I run. More so than with any other kind of workout. And now, like always, I’m sitting in my workout chair. But I’m starting to think of it as my gratitude chair.
It’s the place I land after I push myself. I look forward to sitting here. It’s become this little ritual, and I’ve started to associate it with gratitude — gratitude that I pushed through, that I hit a goal, that I survived another run.
Let me be clear: I’m not a runner.
Most of the time, I live in my head. And the more time I spend there, the more I think about myself — and the less fulfilled and grateful I feel. Running gives me a break from that. It pulls me into my body. Into the present moment. Into real life.
Honestly, I never thought I’d be writing about the benefits of working out like this.
When I used to think of the benefits, I’d think of looking good. And yeah, that’s still there. But I also know that when I move my body, my mental health improves. Now I’m finding even more reasons to keep going: gratitude. Writing inspiration. Connection to nature. Connection to my breath.
Today, I “did it anyway.” And it was a victory.