You have heard me say it multiple times before: try something new. It is fun and it can make you feel passionate about something. Getting away from your daily obligations for a while. I feel this way this during motorcycling and dancing. Putting the busy life aside to enjoy the moment.

But sometimes things get on your path that you do not see coming. When I met my current partner, he said he is a fanatic cyclist. I did not care that much about cycling, so I told him that I would lie in the sun until he would be back.

Give it a try
But then there came a day when he said: “Oh, honey, come here.” He handed me a bike during a weekly dinner with my in-laws. And it was the start of my biking experience.

The bike was of my father-in-law. It was too big for me, but it was good enough. I thought it would be nice to try it, just to see if I liked it too.

The first ride
I was completely ready to go and accustomed to the idea that I would go cycling. My very first time on the bike! Nervous and a little bit uncomfortable, I step on my bike and cycle behind my partner. A little anxious, I look at the thin tires… worried that the tires will get stuck between two tiles, and that I would off my bike.

After the first five kilometers I realize that this is actually quite nice. I have no idea how it will be in 30 kilometers, but we will see! We cycle through the dunes and I start to relax and enjoy it more and more. I forget to drink some water on the way, so after half an hour I start to feel a little dehydrated. But this did not spoil the fun.

Worth repeating
When we got home, I did not feel that tired. I actually had a nice time. I can feel the freedom on the bike that my boyfriend told me about. And like this, I can broaden my horizon and also work out. I was so enthusiastic about it that I jumped on my bike the next day again. But this time I went alone, again for 30 kilometers.

A big surprise
After a few times, it became more and more fun. My partner and I were having dinner with my mother one day and I heard him say: I am going to get something for Renée tomorrow, but it is a surprise. I had to wait for two days, but when the moment was there I was so surprised! He gave me my own bike!

The bike still needed a lot of adjustments, but that did not stop the enthusiasm. Next season I can use my own bike! One that is tailor-made and also completely to my liking.

Two weeks ago I could finally start biking on my own bike. The weather was awful, so the first kilometers were hard. The bike is not big, the wheel is not too far from the front, which works perfect for me!

I took a beautiful route along the water and through the fields together with S.C.. I told him that I did not want to cycle for 50 kilometers, but you guessed it: after 55 kilometers we were finally home. To give you an impression; that is two and a half hours of cycling !!

Slightly grumpy I ask him why we cycled that far. The answer was: because I know you can and to build up until 85 kilometers.

Training for the good cause
Last Monday the weather was great. So I went cycling on my own. A beautiful route along the water, around Schiphol, through the fields back home. A new passion was born, even though I did not even like cycling at first. The enthusiasm of my partner has been contagious. So contagious, that I am now training to cycle the Tour de Rotterdam. A ride to raise money for research on cancer. As you know, my father is ill, this is why I am going to cycle for him. If everything goes well, I might be fit enough to cycle a bit longer. But I will see. Now first I want to reach 85 kilometers!

The song of this week is: OK from Ilse DeLange. A wonderful song, the song gives me the same kind of energy as when I am on the bike. Thank you honey, for introducing me to the world of cycling. Something we can do together and I really enjoy. I love to share this with you! Cheers to a good season with lots of kilometers!

Love, Renée x

Everyone can do it and everyone does it: breathing. Breathing is very important to you, but did you know that if you breathe incorrectly, this can be very harmful for your health?

People with a burnout or a depression often experience a lot of stress. As a result, their breathing and heart rate is often too high, even in rest: in the office, on the couch while watching movies or while reading a book. You can imagine that this is not healthy: it is hard to stay focused, it makes you feel uneasy and also physically it is not healthy. Your body will feel like you are doing an intensive bike ride while you are actually at rest. This consumes energy and has all kinds of physical and mental consequences, such as: shortness of breath, agitation, hyperventilation, anxiety, headache, back pain, fatigue, concentration problems and pressure on the chest. Of course you want to prevent this. Lucky you! Just by being more aware of your breathing. Is this the solution to everything? ? No, but certainly very valuable.

Breathing and running therapy
I am a running therapist and run with people who face these problems. The first time it is a bit awkward, but I always start the running sessions in rest and let the runners focus on their breathing. Especially people who have no experience with meditation have to get used to these breathing exercises.

The assignment:

Stand still for two minutes and …

breathe in through your nose

breathe out through your nose

pause

repeat.

It is very easy, everyone can do it. We introduce peace within ourselves before running and get rid of all the stress. Then we start the training, which can vary from person to person. During the run we keep focusing on this way of breathing.

It is important to breathe easy and to keep the heart rate under control while running. Do you get out of breath? Then run slower! You will last longer, keep your energy for the rest of the day and it will be more relaxed. Breathe in through your nose and try to breathe out through your nose. Extend your exhalation. If you cannot breathe through your nose, try to make a nozzle of your mouth and blow out.

At the end of the training we do the same breathing exercise again, but then for five minutes. This too, can feel quite awkward, certainly in the beginning. Doing nothing for five minutes can be experienced as a long time. It is important to do this because you do not want to feel the high (er) heartbeat that sports causes the rest of the day. This also ensures that running is really a moment with a beginning and an end, that gives a nice and satisfied feeling. I therefore encourage you to do this in your running training!

What else can you do?
Are do you often feel uneasy, have poor concentration or are you very tired? Then try to count your breaths for one minute at rest (once in and out counts as 1 time). Are you between 8 and 12 breaths per minute? Then you are okay. Do you have more? Then there is work to be done! Fortunately, this is fairly simple, but it does require attention and focus. Do a breathing exercise once or twice a day for ten minutes:

breathe in through your nose

breathe out through your nose

pause

repeat.

This exercise can also be used perfectly in all kinds of situations: the traffic jam, a difficult conversation at work, at bedtime or just in the bathroom ☺

There is much more to tell about breathing. Do you want to know more? Bram Bakker and Koen de Jong wrote a book about this: Relief. Or leave a comment with your questions, I will gladly answer them!

You feel sad, do not get anything done and feel totally listless. Maintaining friendships is difficult, even getting the trash out can be already too much. You visit a therapist, the conversations are good and it helps. However, it does not get you moving.

Your therapist tells you to start running. And although it might be good for you in the far future, right now you do not feel like it at all. ‘Running? I cannot do that! Even going to the shops is too hard for me!’ ‘I look so weird when I run.’ ‘I drink and smoke too much to run.’ And so on, and so on. Totally understandable. However, in this blog post I am going to convince you that it can help you. Really!

Running therapist
Last year I started Run Free Groningen, my running therapy company (link: www.runfreegroningen.nl). The goal of running therapy is to use running to reduce depression or burnout complaints. I already worked as a coach for people with stress or depression complaints, but it was mostly focused on talking. I wanted my coaching to be more practical. I experienced that running (and exercise in general) helps to clear my head. I am sensitive for burnout, stress and (winter) depression myself. I used to feel sad, without even knowing why. But when I started running and successfully hold onto it, I realised that I did not only get physically stronger, also my mental health strengthened. I felt better, free and stable! And because of this, I started to help other people too.

Why does it help?
Running and exercise will help you on three levels: psychological, biological and physical.

Psychological:
It strengthens your self esteem; you can be proud of yourself for going outside and doing exercise. If you do it multiple times, you can start pushing your boundaries.

Next to that, you shall notice that you will have less space in your head for worrying. You will feel like you are clearing your mind.

Biological:
Working out and exercising produces hormones that will make you feel better, like endorphin. It is like a natural medicine. If you start running more often, you will notice that those hormones do not only get produced during, but also after you run.

Physical:
Your fitness level increases, you get stronger and you will feel better: the physical effects of running. This feels great! It brings extra motivation and self confidence.

And you can do it too!
Right now you might think: ‘nice, but I cannot run.’ But I am sure that you can (If you are physically healthy and do not have any injuries).
Everybody who starts the journey thinks it is scary. However, everybody goes home happy and satisfied, really!

Do you want to try it by yourself? These are some tips:
1. Start at the start, your start. Do not start running for half an hour like your life depends on it. You will get injuries if you start off too fast. Your body needs to adjust to the movements. Also the chance of failing is bigger when you start off too fast. Run slowly and walk in between. Download a beginners plan on the internet and do not go into the distance yet.
2. Again: run slowly! I will tell you again, because I notice that people often find it difficult. When people think of running, they think of sprinting. But you do not have to sprint! The longer you train, the faster you get.
3. Ask for help. A running therapist can help you along the way and has a lot of experience and knowledge about running and depression. You learn how to breathe well and several techniques that help you to hold on longer. Also it will give you the motivation to actually go.  After awhile, you can get started by yourself.
4. Run together with a friend. It is more fun and you can motivate each other. Make sure you are on the same level, otherwise you will still go ahead of yourself.

It may sound weird or arrogant, but when was the last time you have been really proud of yourself? Maybe it is something you have done or said. A step that you took in the right direction. No idea, right? We do not seem to be proud of the small things we accomplish but we only see the big wins. However, those are not more important than the small steps we take.

Awards
You probably wonder what got me to this subject. Last weekend I performed in two regional competitions of dancing. I dance modern and street dance / hip-hop with a small group of great girls (selection group). Three awards will be awarded after every competition for the most beautiful, funniest, energetic dances of the entire show. And we won an award! What am I saying? Two of them! At the first award the surprise was already shedding, the second was simply outstanding!

When the disbelief had dropped a little, it made room for pride. I sat down to analyze the day and realized that I actually had a really nice day! Was it because of the prizes? Of course that was the icing on the cake. But the nerves that usually dominate made place for enjoyment and emotion. I could not wait to get on the dance floor!

Support
At the second show I had an audience! My mother and two friends of mine came to watch. Of course it made me more nervous, but as soon as the music started, I started to enjoy the dance. A few minutes of emotion but after that all that exists is the dance.

My parents and partner support me in everything, they all come to see me whenever it is possible. That feels so terribly good! Of course I have to do it alone, there on the stage, but because of their sweet words and presence it becomes a bit easier.

Little things to be proud of
This is of course such a big event to be proud of. But this also makes it easier to be proud of the little things. Like that one dish that you make for the first time and succeed in one go, or after three devastated attempts and you did not give up. Picking up running after two months. Or not eating that chocolate, even though it looks so good.

Be proud of yourself without arrogance. Also look around you: if you are proud of someone, say it! That boost, the blushing cheeks and the good feeling, share it with someone! After the competition when we were packing our bags, I took a moment to tell the girls that I was proud of us. It was not necessary since it was clear that we did really well, but it was a really nice extra.

The song of this week is ‘Is not my fault’ from Bebe Rexha. This is one of the winning dances. I hope we can dance in Ahoy in June! That would be a nice next step after last weekend’s amazing competitions!

Love, Renée x

How can you move in a way that suits you? Of course this can be different for anybody. As long as you hold a certain pattern for a week or two, you will find out what’s the most beneficial for you, concerning your energy and mood.

Extra movement during the day
If you want some extra movement at work, you can take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Did you know that with the up and down walking of four floors, your chance of heart problems decreases by 30 percent? And that walking the stairs for an extra two-minute per day can stop an average weight gain? So go to the toilet on another floor, walk to your colleague, take a walk around the block during your lunch break, or grab your bike to work!

Home workouts
When you’re home, you have a lot more freedom to do exercises to get some extra work out. Get a workout video from YouTube, or teach yourself to squat 15 minutes every day. For your blood flow and burning calories, it’s best to activate large muscle groups, like your leg muscles. To lose weight, activities such as running, squatting, or doing exercises that appeal to multiple muscles at once, contribute the most. Such as a burpee: after squatting, you jump to push up, and when you get up again, you make a jump! Start easy so you can keep up with this habit and slowly increase your level of difficulty.

Visit the gym
At the gym you are free to do anything you want. An important tip is to vary your moves to get the most out of your sport session. Begin two weeks with half an hour cycling, alternate with two weeks of moderate strength, focusing on the correct exercise and the production of heat in your body. This ensures that you achieve the greatest health benefit, because you are more likely to stimulate blood flow, rather than straining your joints and tendons.

Try this mini-workout!
Getting the most out of 10 minutes?

-Allways warm up by walking for around 2 minutes, or lifting your knees one by one in place.

– Take a 30 seconds break.

– Continue with 2 minutes push ups, use your knees as a beginner.

– Take a 30 seconds break.

– Do squats for 2 minutes, pausing one second at the bottom of each squad.

– Take 30 seconds break.

– Do 2 minutes back extensions: Lie on your stomach and raise your shoulders and legs. On top, hold for a second and relax your neck.

– Take a well deserved break. You may want to end with crunches for your abdominal muscles, but with the other exercises you burn a lot already!

Whether you are at home, at the gym or at work, you can always move. Moreover, you can decide how much you want to move. Challenge yourself to move more during your day  and, in time, it will be easier for you. Good luck!

Goals: Set your ‘Move Goal’ to the number of minutes you want to start with, for example 30 minutes a day. If you notice after a week that you can easily achieve this, you can expand to 60 minutes. In Do Goal you can set a location (gym, home) where you will do your exercises. Make specific what you want to do that week and how of

Learning to relax by tightening your muscles? Is that even efficient? Yes it is! A lot of people are not aware of their tense posture. By tightening yourself and letting this tense go, you feel more relaxed. With this exercise we want to help you relax! .

This exercise is all about tightening and relaxation of your arms:

• First make a fist of your right hand. Squeeze it for 10 seconds , after that let it go. Concentrate now on your right hand, what do you feel?
• Do the same thing with your left hand. Make a fist, and hold it tight for 10 seconds. After that let it go. Concentrate now on the left hand, what are you feeling?
• Now make a fist of both hands. Hold the tense 10 seconds and let go. Now, relax  your fingers and forearms. Focus on this feeling!
• The next step is to do the same with you biceps. Press your forearms against your upper arms. Do not tense your hands while doing this, do not make a fist. Repeat this, afterwards relax your arms. Focus on the feeling!
• Now it is the turn of your triceps. Tighten your triceps by stretching your arms downwards. Feel the tension, after that relax and repeat it!
• Last but not least, relax entirely. Relax your arms, shoulders and fingers. Put your arms beside your body and try to relax. Breathe in and out and feel the relaxation. If you like it you can close your eyes or put relaxing music on.

Whenever you feel tense you can apply this exercise. It is a short exercise but you can feel more relaxed afterwards immediately. You can apply during multiple  situations like during work or in the train. When you notice this exercise suits you, you can discuss it with your Coach and apply it into your week.  Good luck!

Most of us know by now that regular exercise and practicing sports is part of a healthy lifestyle. However, participating in sports also has an influence on your mental health. Sport fanatics have been reporting for a long time that exercising is a great mood booster. Luckily for us, you don’t have to be a crazy sport fanatic to attain the positive influences on your mental health.

Sports and mood
Sports can boost your mood in different ways. First, there is the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel good after your weekly run. A different way is that sports can work as a great distractor. This way it can support you during stressful periods. Sports can also boost your mood in a indirect way by improving your sleep. People who exercise fall asleep earlier and have a deeper sleep cycle. this in turn, leads to more energy and a better mood the next day.

Sports help you fight mental problems
As noted earlier, sports are great for their supportive function during periods of stress. Besides that, sports and exercising seem to be a protective factor against mental issues like depression or burn-out. Recent research showed that running therapy can be an effective treatment for people who suffer from a burn-out. A meta study by martinsen(2005) even showed that the effects of exercise therapy match those of antidepressants, for the treatment of light to moderate forms of depression.

Building confidence with sports
Besides the advantages mentioned above, sport also has a positive influence on your self-confidence and self-image. Research showed that people who regularly sport and exercise have a better self-image, even if they don’t lose any weight.
Sports also enhance your strength, a variety of skills like hand eye coordination and your endurance. This helps to make you feel better about yourself, increasing your confidence.
A final note is that team sports are a casual and fun way to socially interact with people. Participating in a team can also help to boost your confidence.

Do you want to start exercising more, but do you have little time to go to the gym? Do you have a job at which you spend a lot of time sitting? Have you had the longtime intention to start working out, but do you experience a struggle to persist or to even make a start?

Here are some tips to get yourself to start exercising more easily.

• Plan exercising on fixed moments in your day. For example before cooking dinner or before you go to bed. Integrate it as one of your many daily habits.
• Take a look for which distances you step into your car. Is the distance shorter than 10 kilometers? Go by bike instead!
• Do you regularly park your car on the same spot? See if you can park your car a bit farther away. This way you force yourself to walk more and you might even save some money on the parking fee.
• If you travel by public transport quite some time you can apply the same principle as in the previous tip. Get off one or two stops earlier out of your tram/metro/bus and walk the remaining part.
• Ask around among your friends/acquaintances/family to find someone whom you can workout, stroll or cycle with. If you’re very fanatic you can both choose to sign up for a contest or competition and work towards this moment.
• This one you’ve probably heard of before: do you see the opportunity to take the stairs? Exactly. Where you’re able to, take the stairs.
• Cleaning and tidying up at home and doing small chores also counts as exercising. This way you kill two birds with one stone!
• If simply strolling or cycling for a while is dull, you can try and combine it with doing groceries, go shopping, visiting a nice location or visiting a good friend.
• Try to make exercising more fun for yourself by listening to some good music whilst you’re cycling or taking a stroll or by meeting up with a good friend.
• Does your work require sitting for a great deal of the time? Try and fill up your (small) breaks with a stroll outside or just some mindless strolling around your workplace.