How Running And Working Out Provides An Escape In My Life Essay Examples

The everyday struggles in my life can become stressful at times. When the academic work piles up along with the pressures from family members and friends there is a need to get away. Since I obviously can not physically run away I have found an alternative means for escape. I found that the combination of working out with weights along with running to have fulfilled that need to escape. Both of these take up relatively long periods of time during which it becomes easy to forget about the problems and the events of my day to day life. These are intense enough activities that they force my mind to focus on them rather than even the most stressful of life’s problems. Not only does lifting weights and running help my mind to focus on something other than life’s chores, they also challenge me physically.
I was introduced to weight lifting through a friend. I had been complaining about how school and the daily grind were getting to me. He mentioned that he had taken up working out and suggested that I should give it a try. Since I was just starting out I was self-conscious about going to one of the bigger gyms or fitness clubs and working out among a crowd of people, so my friend recommended I look into a smaller one on one gym. Not only was the atmosphere more to my liking but it was affordable as well. Going to the one on one gym I was set up with a personal trainer who inquired what it was I was after. I informed him I was looking to get into better shape but more so to challenge myself and take my mind away from life’s worries. He recognized what was best for me and built a half hour work out that was more than I could imagine. I had my doubts when I started, after all, how much could a half hour help me to relax? He would push me through some basic lifts and exercises. I found that the total focus that was needed to concentrate on using the correct form and making sure I was breathing well through each activity was more than enough to help me escape. As I got into my sessions more and more I found that the half hour of work was helping me to mentally escape for an hour or more. I would begin to think about the session a half hour or so before it actually began and then after we were done, my mind was refreshed, and I could look at what was ahead in my day with renewed energy.
Since I began to work out I decided to add some running in with the weight lifting schedule. While not a great runner by any means I had done attempted running at times in the past and found I liked the solitude it provided. My running schedule now is ideal because I can do it when I have time, though I have found out it is best to look at my week and preplan which days I would run. I found going to the local high school’s running track was perfect for what I wanted since I was merely looking for a way to help me to forget about things. The track usually had some people walking for exercise so I was not in the middle of serious runners who could make me feel inadequate. Once there I found it was best if I mentally prepared for what I was going to do rather than just go and start running. This mental preparation helped me to divert my thoughts from whatever else was going on that day in my life. Once the actual running took place it was a mind clearing experience. I found the physical part of the run to relax my brain to the point where I was taking positive outlooks on some things that had been bothering me tremendously. I found not only was I helping my body physically but focusing on various ways to have my workout was an even greater means to leave my life’s struggles behind.
Today the combination of working out with weights and a running schedule have been and continue to be the perfect tools for not only to do they help me to forget about the things in my life for a little while but they also give me a refreshed attitude when it is time to get back to the realities of my life.