Tomorrow, RED January kicks off. It’s tough to find the motivation to be active, so by setting myself this challenge I plan to RED (run every day) for my mental health and to also help others who struggle at this time of year. This is my second time participating, I’m very excited!

What is RED January?

RED January is a community initiative that promotes positive mental health by encouraging participants to be active every day. It doesn’t have to be running, it can be walking, cycling, yoga, even dancing!

The importance is getting out and doing something. Exercise has been proven to have a positive impact on mental health.

What has RED done for me

I first signed up to RED this year, ready for the challenge and a little unsure what to expect. I thought it would be something just for me.

As part of signing up, you can join the Facebook community. I hadn’t really chatted with other runners before, other than at Parkrun and the odd friend who casually ran, so this was really valuable to me. It was my first taste of the running community! From this, I joined the UKRunChat Twitter community, I started running with Up & Running’s SRG and went to my first running club with the lovely Hyde Park Harriers! It has given me so much confidence as a runner and I’m getting stronger.

I managed to run at least a mile a day, including several 10 mile runs throughout the month! I even got consecutive Parkrun PB’s! Towards the end, I was using a lot of magnesium oil to help massage those muscles and the foam roller was my best friend.

By sharing my progress online, I started receiving messages from friends and people who I haven’t spoken to in years! They said I was inspiring them… Me? Plodding along for a handful of miles a day? It was difficult to get my head around but it’s an amazing feeling to know that sharing my success and challenges motivates others to give it a go.

How to join RED January

If you wish to get involved in RED January or to find out more, click here.