a 15 minute run equals a happy day

A fifteen-minute run in the morning and a few stretches is all I need to feel balanced. I was close to going on antidepressants as my recent mood has been so up and down that I thought I needed something to even me out. Winter in the UK has been especially rough this year, and has been enhanced by the fact that I’ve been living away in Asia for the last fifteen years. The brutal weather, rain, wind, — a bleak blanket of depression which seems never ending lasting for days upon days, really does make one feel crap, take exercise out of the equation and add lots of sitting and staring at the computer screen, I was left with irritability, misery and pessimism.

Gyms in England can be pricey; they’re a different kettle of fish entirely to going to a gym in Thailand, where one is utterly spoiled by the affordability, weather and general facilities. In Chiang Mai I was paying under £200 for a six-month membership in the most idyllic riverside hotel, high-end, five-star, equipped with a sauna, steam room and salt water infinity pool looking over the river. Exercise was fun, the routine became fundamental to my general well-being. If I felt a bit blue, then my recipe for redemption was to hit the gym —the after effect would always result in calmness, contentment and relaxation.

Motivating yourself to exercise in the gloomy climate of the UK can be slightly tricky at times, however, what I’ve discovered is that I don’t need to take a lot of time out of the day for a workout, a light fifteen-minute jog, followed by some gentle stretching, has made a massive impact on the direction my day goes. I’m more positive, creative and generally happier. I usually keep to the same routine of stretches, which consists of touching my toes, along with a few basic yoga exercises, doing twenty reps for each exercise, so in all, thirteen to fifteen minutes for the run, followed by seven twenty-second stretches. A recipe for a great day.