World Mental Health Day might have passed but adidas is giving runners the tools to keep that healthy mindset!
World Mental Health Day is always chock-full of well wishes and guidance on social media but those messages shouldn’t just be limited to one 24 hour period. This year, adidas launched a free mindfulness through running event inviting Londoners to learn more about mental wellness and how to incorporate it into our lifestyle on a daily basis.
Because although adidas’ mindfulness event took place on World Mental Health Day, the focus of the event was for runners to learn more about the ability to use those skills moving forward.
The evening started with a choice of social runs, ranging from 2km to 4km or 5km. With different routes across east London, runners were encouraged to check in halfway through with how they were feeling. Once the runs were over, adidas Runners Captain Hannah and Coach Tomás asked runners once again how they felt before, during and after exercise.
There were three different workshops taking place after the social runs: Breathpod, Meditation and Digital Detox. Taking place at Hackney’s Protein Studios, the sessions brought together runners and wellness experts for a jam-packed evening of information.
Breathpod
During the session, runners learned how to monitor their breathing by using hands-on acupressure, sound, movement and coaching to correct any ineffective or constricted patterns. They also learned that when our breathing is full, open and connected, “activation” occurs creating a high vibrational frequency in the body. The session included everything necessary for your next top-notch run through the city.
Meditation
We all know that meditation can be a brilliant tool for good mental health and adidas’ session confirmed just that. Runners explored the use of meditation in connection to movement and exercise, learning how to collect their thoughts to refocus their attention and awareness post-run to achieve a mentally clear & stable state.
Digital Detox
We spend so much time on our phones and this mindfulness session explored the reality of the constantly connected world we live in today. In this workshop, runners explored the effect that this constant connection can have on us professionally and personally as well as strategies to improve our relationship with smartphones. Getting a handle on your devices in today’s 24/7 connected world improves your wellbeing, creativity, productivity, focus, and relationships and help to make sure you can be your best self at work and at home.
adidas Runners is a free to access running community in London and cities around the world. No matter whether you’re gearing up for your first 5k or you’re a seasoned marathon runner, they offer expert advice from the team to help your running become the best that it can be. Find out more about adidas Runners here.
This article was sponsored by adidas. Find out more about adidas’ Mindfulness event here.