Run For Your Life

If you can't fly then run; if you can't run then walk; if you can't walk then crawl; but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.

MARTIN LUTHER KING

One of the things that really helped me when I first quit drinking, and has now become the mainstay of my daily routine, is walking.

I did flirt briefly with running (see my posts: Strong Women Don't Drink and Running and Insomnia), but came to the realisation that I am not built for speed, and a brisk walk suits me better.

I found that walking, preferably amongst green stuff - in parks and along rivers, not only got me away from the fridge and all the wine associations, but lifted my mood and helped me to see things more clearly.

(I know I'm not alone in this. Many former addicts talk about how crucial running - or walking - was to their recovery, Lucy Rocca, the founder of Soberistas, for example and Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild).

I'd take the terrier with me and, over time, built up a squad of dog owning friends who'd join in. I found that the conversations we'd have during an hour long walk were way more wide ranging and life enhancing than any drunken ramblings at parties, and the quality of my friendships improved immeasurably.

This is why I love the book just published by Penguin: Run For Your Life by William Pullen. William is an incredible psychotherapist, is terribly fit and also happens to be rather gorgeous. (Plus he's an old friend of mine).

William's book is all about Dynamic Running Therapy which is inspired by mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

William explains how and why running (or walking!), and being outdoors in nature, positively impact on our mental wellbeing and he shows how you can harness this power, either on your own or with a friend, to solve problems, deal with stress or anxiety and make changes.

It's incredible how the solution to a seemingly insurmountable problem can come to you when you're out walking or running.

This is, William argues, because the act of movement helps us to connect with feelings hidden deep inside and can lead to incredible moments of illumination.

Interestingly, many authors talk about walking to relieve 'writer's block'. They find that it helps to unleash creativity in a way that sitting, staring at a screen, can never do.

It's also much easier to discuss your problems with a friend when you are both moving (and therefore avoiding eye contact) than it is when you're sitting staring at each other, which is why William's book includes therapeutic exercises you can try in pairs as well as on your own.

So do check out William's book by clicking here, or his free App here, and get moving. It really can change your life.

Love SM x

Walking Away From Booze

Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

I find that walking is an invaluable sober tool. For a whole host of reasons. Here are five of them:

1. It has no booze associations

However much of a hardened drinker you are/were it is unlikely that you used to go for a walk with a glass of Chardonnay in hand.

(In my case, walking was one of the few occasions when I wouldn't have a glass of wine nearby).

That's why it's a perfect activity around wine o'clock, when you really, really want a drink. Just go. Walk out the door. (I'm channelling my inner Gloria Gaynor here).

Get away from the fridge, the wine rack, the irritations of home and walk. Walk until you feel better.

(N.B. Remember to plan a route that does not go past your favourite pub or bottle shop).

2.  It's a natural drug.

We enthusiastic imbibers rather like our drugs, our highs. And walking is a natural high. It releases serotonin which boosts your mood.

Numerous studies have shown that walking helps reduce depression, anxiety and can even ward off Alzheimer's.

3. It can be social

I avoided parties for a while. But I'm a sociable person. I wouldn't want an alcohol free life that turned me into a hermit.

So, even in the days when I avoided going out too much in the evenings, I would arrange to meet friends during the day for a dog walk.

I'd spend an hour of the day drinking coffee, catching up with an old friend and getting myself, and the dog, fit. That's multitasking ;-)

4. It blitzes the belly

One of the best consolation prizes for ditching the booze is losing weight, especially the dreaded wine belly (see my post: Wine Bellies Can Kill).

Walking not only burns calories and builds muscle, but it can improve your body's response to insulin which leads to reduced belly fat.

5. It reduces your risk of chronic disease

Again, there are a huge number of studies showing that walking can be a wonder drug.

It lowers your blood sugar and, therefore, your risk of diabetes, it lowers blood pressure and your risk of heart disease and stroke, and it reduces your risk of cancer - especially breast and colon cancer.

When I first had the cancer diagnosis (eight months after I quit drinking. To read my story, click here), and I knew that easiest and quickest way to blot it all out, to silence all the thoughts of death and motherless children, would be to pour a large glass of wine (and then drink the whole bottle), walking saved me.

I would take the dog out to the nearest park and then howl. Literally.

(I once bumped into a school gate Mum while doing this. It was what the children would describe as #awks).

Walking calmed my thoughts. It made me feel happier - or at least less desperate. And, crucially, it got me away from the vino.

But tonight I may just be overdoing it on the walking front.

#1 and I are doing the Moonwalk (she's only just old enough, so will be one of the youngest there).

It's a twenty six mile walk through the centre of London with thousands of other women (and some men) all decked out in decorated bras (even the men), in aid of breast cancer charities.

We've raised nearly £2,500 between us, so we've got to make it through to the end!

We set off at 10pm, and should finish at around 7am. I haven't been up all night for a very long time, and certainly not because I was walking. Wish us luck!

I'm not going to post my Moonwalk fundraising page because I'm still a little twitchy about my own anonymity, and a lot twitchy about my daughter's

However if you would like to support us, and help other women dealing with breast cancer, then please please visit my Justgiving page in support of the Haven Breast Cancer Support Centre.

Here's the link: www.justgiving.com/sober-mummy

THANK YOU!

Love SM x