Fitness expert Adrienne Herbert on how running can help cure loneliness
The personal trainer, mentor and inspirational speaker discusses her passion for running and how she keeps motivated
Scroll through Adrienne Herbert’s immaculate Instagram feed and you will leave feeling so inspired you may want to hunt down your long-lost running trainers and start pounding those pavements.
The London-based personal trainer, fitness influencer and global brand ambassador for adidas, named a New Face of Wellness by the British edition of Vogue in May 2017, has co-founded GetToKNOW, a network for women who work in the creative industries, and recently launched the podcast Power Hour. Here, she talks about why she runs, the importance of a morning routine, and her simple life rules.
Getting up early is a game-changer
“It started for me about 18 months ago when I was training for the London marathon. Running longer distances gets quite time-consuming and I just didn’t know how to fit everything in with work and blogging and looking after my son. I was time-poor, so I just started getting up earlier. But even on the days I wasn’t running, I’d still get up around 5.30am to do an hour of emails, reading or stretching before my son woke up.
“Within six months I knew this was a game-changer. It’s life-changing. I have more energy, I’m in a better mood, I get so much done in the morning so I’m not stressed during the day. Instead of chasing emails and WhatsApp messages, I’m already ahead.”
The reason I started running was to escape
“When I was pregnant with my son, Jude, my husband, who was a superfit, 29-year-old PE teacher, unfortunately, had a brain haemorrhage. It was terrifying. After my son was born, I felt like I had lost a lot of my freedom and part of my identity.
“It was difficult for my husband to look after Jude in case he had a seizure. At the time, I was a dancer in the West End but I couldn’t go back to my job or go to a gym class. But I needed some head space. I figured out I could run around the block – it would only take 10 minutes. So that’s what I did. And I started doing that every day.”
Running is a cure for loneliness
“I’ve seen how it can change an individual’s life, like it has done for me. But I’ve also seen how, as a community, running can give so much to so many people. When you meet other runners you already have this whole world to talk about, from socks and blisters to fitness trackers. Even outside of races, if you just go to a weekly running club, you’re going to see people there who go every week. That’s powerful and it’s a great way to make new friends.”
It’s important to unplug from the internet
“As I don’t drink coffee, I can go to bed early and get up early. I try not to be online after 9pm. I also often write a to-do list for the next day: it gets everything out of my head so I don’t go bed worrying.”
You can do anything. You can’t do everything
“It’s great to be ambitious and want to do well in your career, or to run a marathon and have a family, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself to do it all at once. Focus on one thing and give it your full attention, even if that’s resting. Self-care doesn’t have to be selfish, or indulgent, or expensive or a commodity – it could just be a long chat with your sister.”
Tell yourself you can do hard things
“When the alarm goes off at 5am, getting up in the dark is difficult. Just tell yourself you can do hard things – and keep doing them to prove it.”
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