It happens. No matter how ardent of a runner one can be, you may still run out of juice one fine day and decide that you will not be putting on your running shoes any longer. Whether it is because of work, family or other personal issues, it is very normal for runners to stop doing what seems like something they love doing suddenly or gradually.
If you are a runner who is starting to slow down or has already stopped running completely, here are some things you need to know that happens when everything comes to a standstill.
1. Your appetite will increase
It will seem that way but in actual fact, your appetite is the same as always. It was only because you were running so much that you had some liberty to be a little more gluttonous without putting on the extra pounds.
2. You start putting on weight
Obviously, because you are not exercising as much as you used to. Your body has no idea where to plonk the excess calories so it all goes to, surprise surprise, your tummy, thighs and everywhere else.
3. Lethargy sets in easily
Being worn out after a good workout and being lethargic are two entirely different things and should not be confused. Without the constant run, your body will switch off easier and you feel tired and out of sync faster too. This can happen even after you have had proper food and rest.
4. It gets hard to get back in the groove
Many runners who fall out of routine dream of putting on that pair of sports shoes again one fine day and get back on the running schedule again. But when most try, it is met with a level of difficulty that reminds us of how it was like when we first started running. Some may be more motivated to push through (which is the case, usually), but there will be some who will succumb to the pain and decide never again.
5. You get conscious of how you look physically
Does this point surprise you? Amazingly, even though many of us started off running to lose the pounds and get in shape, we don’t think about it until we stop and start looking a little frumpier each passing day. Our clothes start to get a little tighter and honestly, even if we don’t look as bad as how we first did, we start to notice every little bulge and centimeter that appears. Hopefully the extra bulges motivate you more than it discourages though.
