This blog, written by our co-founder Claire, is a look back on how exercise has supported her during an unexpected lockdown.  It builds on her original blog from May 2020.

We at HWBInspiration have written several blogs on how being active has helped us:

• Wyn, our guest HWB Ninja, has written about the head runs and how they have helped him be present and supported his mental health
• Su has written about how becoming more active led to the discovery and successful treatment of breast cancer in 2018
• I wrote about how exercise had boosted my wellbeing and is one of the 10 keys to happier living

9 months on, I have re-read my blog from May 2020 and I read it with a smile on my face.  At the time I didn’t know I was pregnant and oh how the world has changed in a wonderful way since welcoming Joseph into our lives last December (2020).

Back in May I wrote about how maintaining my exercise may be a challenge due to competing priorities. When I found out I was pregnant I decided to stop cycling and re-start running.  I set myself a goal to run at least 2 times per week.  I continued to run up week 36 of my pregnancy.  I became much slower in pace and had to shorten the distance that I ran, however, the sense of achievement I had in doing what I love to do was immense.  I recently took a look at my Strava account and realised that I clocked up over 220 miles of running from June – November.  I was the fittest I had ever been during my pregnancy, I was eating healthy, I wasn’t drinking alcohol and I was getting out running.  My overriding goal was to be physically and mentally healthy and fit to be able to look after the new little man in our lives when he arrived and it certainly paid off. 

Last weekend, 7 weeks after Joseph arrived and 10 weeks after having to hang up my trainers, I took a run in my local park with Joseph in the pram.   It was great, I loved it. Again, my pace was slow and my distance was reduced. However being able to run and talk to Joseph about the deer’s in the park was a moment I will always remember. I was present, I was with Joseph and it was amazing.