Finding happiness in running during difficult times

It’s been a strange time with coronavirus spreading around the world. Down here in Dubai Marina, a normally bustling area, it has felt like a ghost town for the past six weeks. Unfortunately, this eeriness is normal across the globe as people remain indoors and practice social distancing, helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is great to see many people play their part by honouring the rules in an attempt to flatten the curve. But it can be tough, both mentally and physically, when forced to stay indoors for long hours of the day. As a result of these changes to your daily life, it is normal to feel a drop in morale at times. That added bit of stress can chip away at everything, from your mood, sleep, energy levels and so on. There is nothing wrong with feeling down, though. It is only natural. Everything is affected at the moment, from our daily structure, eating habits, socialing with friends and even a trip to the local gym. With gyms closed in the UAE since March 15, it has given people a chance to reflect and incorporate different ways to keep their minds and bodies healthy throughout this social-distancing phase. From running and walking around basement car parks to doing press-ups and sit-ups at home, people have been doing their best to stay active, positive and keep things as normal as possible during the lockdown. And with the coronavirus-related movement restrictions lifted last Saturday, it’s fantastic to see people’s lives crawl back to a sense of normality again. Around the Marina and JLT, people are exercising outdoors, maintaining fitness levels and keeping the mind fresh after a busy day working from home. A run or walk helps clear the mind and sort any problems and issues that may be flowing around your brain. It brings back that routine to life, helps make you feel fit, and the days tend to fly by. Even with the mandatory mask wearing, people are still happy to be outside once again. And frankly, during these uncertain times, the main advantage of getting outdoors is from a mental aspect. “When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. Endorphins are a group of hormones that are the body’s natural way of helping us to relieve pain, reduce stress, and reduce anxiety, making us feel better,” Australian psychologist Lea Waters told the Guardian recently. “A key thing that is within our own control that can help us to build the emotional and brain resilience that we need to cope with the coronavirus is the simple act of exercise. “Even though we are at home, we are still supposed to be doing the same amount of work, on top of looking after our children and coping with the stress, so we absolutely need to be on top of our game in terms of our brains being able to direct us to achieve our goals. “Exercise is the simplest thing we can do to fill us with endorphins so that we’ve got the energy, motivation, will and positive mood to keep going.” Having that bit of routine back in your life is so important. It brings structure, efficiency, breaks bad habits, and keeps us on track to achieve our different goals. One of the advantages of living near the Marina is the 8 kilometre (5.3 miles) loop, and if you want to add a few extra kilometres, one can navigate over towards JLT or Bluewaters. But, irrespective of where a person resides, there are roads and little routes nearby to tackle, working up a sweat to make you feel sharper and happier. Often, in the midst of a gruelling working schedule, it can be easy to forget about different activities we once enjoyed doing. Running, walking or even small home workouts are ideal to keep the body ticking over at the moment. It’s all about finding something that makes you happy. If that’s going for a 30-minute walk and doing some press-ups and sit-ups in the house, or doing a three-kilometre run, the main thing is you feel better after it. Try it a few times. You don’t have to run fast, but you will feel great. You will feel relaxed and replenished. It’s all about keeping the energy levels up through these difficult times. With no indication as to when our old routines will resume, running is the best therapy to clear the mind and keep you stress free.

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