A lot of runners would tell you that there is no better form of exercise than running. A natural all intensive workout, pushing your body to its limits, just you, no machinery, no gadgets (okay maybe some sort of fitness watch) but just you moving from point A to B.
Well I used to think the same way, until on my way home from a run one day I felt an excruciating pain in my foot. Like humans do, I ignored the pain and carried on running through it for the next couple of runs, until I got to a stage where walking was sort of unbearable.
So I decided to stop being stubborn and think of an alternative. Now my wedding was in 2 months’ time and I still wanted to keep fit and in shape because no ways was I going to ask the dressmaker to make my dress bigger. So at my gym (yes I did still have a gym contract) I was very intrigued by the Spinning classes I used to walk past, so here came the alternative.
I dragged my then fiancé with for the first class as my wingman and it was really interesting. He probably didn’t think so at first, but there were other men in the class, so I didn’t feel too bad. It was a class that combined fast cycling and weights. I felt like I had a good workout after the class. What was really good is that I managed to do a workout without putting a lot of pressure on my foot. So as time moved on, I started going more frequently to these classes and became a little obsessed. I loved the vibe, the music and how good it made me feel. I started noticing that positive side effects of this weight resistance exercise.
After about 3-4 months of Spinning I can honestly say that my foot injury had subsided.
I wouldn’t say you should give up running all together if you have an injury. I say work through it, there are other forms of exercise that you can do whilst you begin the healing process. Our bodies are tough and you’d be surprised what they can conquer. Whether it be swimming, core, spinning, exercise is good for the soul, mind and body.
I fell in love with Spinning and it completely changed my mind-set. Its good to change things up sometimes, right?