I started running for the same reasons that most of us adopt new lifestyle habits: I wanted to look great and feel healthy. Two decades later I was still running—logging 20-25 miles a week. On the days I didn’t run, I craved the sensation of flying through the air, my body and brain high on oxygen. I missed the way that focusing on the rhythm of my breathing crowded out my to-do list, providing a natural form of meditation. Even in my dreams I ran on forest trails and through open meadows, my body humming with wellbeing. Waking up from those dreams, I’d feel energized and vibrantly alive. In short, although I’d started running because of a vague ideal and some good intentions, in the end the reason I made running a priority was simple: It made me wildly happy. And that’s the basis of forming and maintaining any good habit.

Exercise may start out rough…but it gets better

Don’t get me wrong. Running felt terrible at first. Burning lungs and aching calves were definitely a turn-off. And the Boston climate wasn’t inviting either: hot and humid in the summer and cold and snowy in the winter. However, three months into my practice a runner’s high began to kick in somewhere between the first and second mile. That’s when I started noticing my mood was vastly improved throughout the day, too—I was brighter, happier, and much less prone to worry and stress. Pretty soon, I was living in a world of greater emotional peace and bodily wellbeing than I’d ever imagined possible.

These results aren’t unique to me; they are scientifically well documented. Studies demonstrate that people who exercise at least three times per week are less depressed, angry, and stressed than those who don’t exercise. Active people also feel more positive about their health and fitness levels.¹ And then there’s the benefit to the brain itself. According to one study, exercise helps to prevent normal age-related memory loss because it stimulates new cells to grow in an area of the brain responsible for memory. So, if you’re feeling depressed or lacking brainpower make sure to consult your doctor for the right treatment plan. Once you start exercising regularly, it simply feels too good to quit.

Eating right for your body takes some trial and error

I had a similar experience when I changed my diet. It taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of making healthy lifestyle changes that made me happy and energized. A few years before I started running, my husband and I decided to switch to an organic vegetarian diet, which was no small feat in the 1970s. Health food stores were few and far between and absolutely everything, including bread, had to be made from scratch. After about a year on that diet I’d lost 20 pounds, looked incredibly skinny, and felt awful, fatigued, and fuzzy-brained. Nonetheless, I was morally committed to being a vegetarian. Then one day, my yoga teacher took me aside and asked whether I’d looked in a mirror lately. “Do you look healthy?,” she asked. I couldn’t say that I did. “Do you feel healthy?” Nope, I couldn’t say that either. My conclusion was that my diet wasn’t nourishing me and I needed to change it. Even though I adopted it for spiritual and moral reasons, it wasn’t healthy for my body type. As soon as I added foods to my diet that I’d been leaving out (fish and chicken), my sense of wellbeing, strength, and muscle mass returned.

We’re all different

Through my experiences, I came to understand that all of us are unique. While some of us thrive as vegetarians, others may feel like their bodies need a little animal protein. In the same way, a fitness program that suits some people simply won’t work for others. Fundamentally, when you’re looking to create a healthy lifestyle you’ve really got to challenge yourself to find what works for you.

The feeling of vitality, calm, strength, and creativity that the right diet and exercise program provides is addictive—in a good way! It’s the way you were meant to feel. And it’s the barometer of how well your lifestyle is working for you. If a change in your diet and exercise regime doesn’t give you pleasure after a few months, that’s good feedback; it means you should rethink and readjust your program. Otherwise, you’re liable to give up and go back to your old ways. Using pleasure as your guide is an incredibly simple and effective way to reinforce your resolve to create better health that lasts a lifetime.

References

¹Physical Exercise and Psychological Well-Being: A Population Study in Finland, Hassmen P, Koivula N, Uutela A, Prev Med 2000 Jan;30(1):17-25

Always consult a physician before starting any exercise routine.

Dr. Joan Borysenko has been called The First Lady of Mind/Body Medicine. She is a Harvard trained biologist, as well as a licensed psychologist and spiritual educator. One of the most popular national speakers on health and wellness, Joan is the bestselling author of over a dozen books, the writer and star of her own PBS special, Inner Peace for Busy People, a blogger for the Huffington Post, and host of an Internet radio show.