Health and Fitness: Stay motivated while taking steps against violence
Kirrily Dear, co-Founder of Run Against Violence, wants to help make the community a better place for others by bringing people together with initiatives such as the virtual team challenge starting August 30. Picture: Supplied
As circumstances change rapidly and frequently around the country due to the coronavirus crisis, you may be struggling to keep a semblance of normality.
It may mean you have had to revert to working out at home while others might be finding it hard to remain motivated to being active.
In what continues to be a challenging time for everyone, it is important to find your focus so you can keep moving. And being ready to adapt if needed is also a good idea. In the past week I have had training and games cancelled due to events unfolding in my community and it would have been easy to just do nothing. But instead I have tried to substitute a running or cardio-strength session in their place.
Committing to one of the many virtual events taking shape around the nation is also a good way to not only retain motivation but in many cases to help others.
The Run Against Violence Virtual Team Challenge is coming up. It starts on August 30 and requires groups of up to 20 to virtually walk or run 1300 kilometres from Broken Hill to Sydney. The route retraces the real-world 2017 Steps Together Ultramarathon.
Kirrily Dear, co-founder of Run Against Violence, said the virtual run equates to 1.7 million steps.
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"1.7 million is the estimated number of Australians who experienced physical abuse before the age of 15," she said.
During the challenge, teams can upload their distances onto an online tracker and watch their team move across the map from Broken Hill to Sydney.
Run Against Violence is a volunteer organisation whose purpose is to start constructive and comprehensive conversations around family violence.
"More than 3000 people across the world have participated in our online challenge," Dear said. "Sixty per cent of participants surveyed said they had more conversations about their experience with violence; sixty per cent said they shared more stories and articles about family violence prevention. All those small steps shatter the silence for people who have experienced family violence."
Registrations are open and the race takes place over 19 days from August 30 to September 17.
"With absolutely everything up in the air right now, having a goal to keep you active [is important], and you also get to be a super-hero," Dear said. "By taking steps together, you will make your community a better place for others."