“I have never been ‘a runner’, or a gym go-er and have never really done any form of regular exercise since leaving school in 2000” says Active client Ian, from Middlesbrough
I had a brief stint of running in 2020 during lockdown and managed to train up to a half marathon which I did to raise money for NHS Charities Together. Once I completed that though, I didn’t run again until January 2022. I initially started with ParkRun, which I would really encourage anyone to get involved with. It’s a free 5k timed event every Saturday morning and you can complete it however you like – walk, jog or run”
There will be a ParkRun event near you – find out more here.
Things have really moved on for Ian in the two years that he’s been running consistently; increasing the distance and elevation, moving to trail and road running and winter events on the moors in much more challenging conditions.
To stay motivated, Ian always has an event booked, and has now raised more than £41,000 for James Cook University Hospital Maternity Bereavement in the process. That’s some effort!
“My biggest event has been the Hardmoors 110, which is the full Cleveland Way non-stop; from Filey to Helmsley – 112miles with 15,000ft elevation. I love the challenge of the runs – physically and mentally. For the longer runs, it’s definitely all in the head!”
According to research by Vitality Insurance and the London School of Economics, if the UK’s inactive population did 5,000 steps just three times a week, it could save the NHS as much as £15bn!
The research, based on data mapped over a 10-year period also found that doing 10,000 steps three times a week can lower the risk of type-2 diabetes by over 40%, increasing to 57% four times a week. At least 5,000 steps three times per week for two years can add between 2.5 years (for men) and three years (for women) to our life expectancy.
“By running consistently, I am not only fitter and healthier, but I also have much clearer, stronger mental health” says Ian.
As an extremely ‘Active’ team ourselves, it is always inspiring to hear stories from others on how they themselves face day to day challenges. If running can bring benefit to Ian, it could work for others too. We really appreciate Ian sharing his story with us.
Stats provided by https://www.vitalitymagazine.co.uk/spring-summer-2024/
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