As I write this, 30,000 people in t-shirts and sneakers are running through the New York City’s five boroughs, intent on making it to the finish line first. In many ways, the period of Halloween to New Years can feel like a marathon for people who struggle with eating, body image, and weight. We obsess about the abundance of food holidays and worry about how we will make it to January 1 without gaining weight (and always harbor the secret wish to somehow lose weight) especially with less daylight and motivation to exercise.
While November can be challenging, there are plenty of ways to find inspiration—if you look for them. For example, consider the NYC Marathon. At first glance, the Marathon might be demoralizing if you are overweight or self-conscious about your body. It is easy to compare ourselves to Marathon runners who are often thin and fit—exuberantly running their 26.2 miles—and we always come up short.
Twenty-six miles is not right for everyone, but let’s not permit this often-overwhelming standard to stop us from exercising at all. In fact, there are plenty of less intimidating physical activities that can keep us slender, help our mood, and decrease our chance of diabetes, heart attack, and cancer. If a marathon is not in your future, try to incorporate 50 minutes of even a very slow run or a shuffle into the advised 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week that we all need. Try walking an extra 10 minutes or three blocks a day, or forgo the taxi every once in a while, and enjoy the boost of energy it offers. As the days get colder and can feel more challenging to get to the gym, there is a huge variety of exercise videos online. And even 10 minutes of high knee lifts counts. Every little bit matters, and if you do it early in the day, it will start you off on the right foot.