I started running just after I had my first baby. It was love at first run. I got so much out of it. I could squeeze in some exercise, get out of the house, get outdoors, get into shape, and feel so good too.
I’m the founder of Platinum Pilates, and I found Pilates made running easier and more enjoyable because my feet were conditioned to absorb the ground force and run on any surface pain-free. All the benefits of Pilates – mobility, flexibility and elasticity – enable the body to run efficiently, which means you use energy more efficiently, which makes the process more enjoyable.
These days, as a busy mum of three girls running a business, I need something that fits in with my time-poor schedule and gives me headspace. I find it meditative, almost. Running is a way to drop everything and not be distracted, you really are just in the moment while you pound to a melodic rhythm. Then there’s the physical conditioning and cardiovascular benefits too; and it boosts my energy levels.
I run four times a week, along different routes – two long runs and two quick, interval-type runs. I even run when I travel. I famously brought two left trainers of the same shoe style to New York once but just ran in them anyway because I didn’t want to miss out!
I am lucky never to have had any niggling running pain or injury, and I put that down to Pilates. Part of my ethos is that everybody can run, the body is programmed for running, as long as it is conditioned properly.
