Exercise as a safe space

Never in my life did I ever think I would utter those words.

Exercise and any kind of physical activity were my biggest weaknesses. I simply refused.

In my early 20s, I made some futile attempts to establish a gym routine. The motivation wasn’t there. The discipline wasn’t there. Without at least one of these prerequisites, it was doomed to fail.

Then, covid happened.

A mix of depression and general low-energy vibrations meant spending a lot of time eating and watching Netflix. My body changed in ways I didn’t appreciate. My clothes couldn’t fit me anymore.

In the second lockdown -harsher than the first, as it took place from December 2021 to around April 2022, the coldest months of the year-, I made a massive decision.

I would start walking.

There were no gyms, no classes to go to. I wasn’t keen on taking online classes because I wanted a break from the screen(s). So I walked and walked.

I walked around my North West London neighbourhood and beyond. Primrose Hill, Gospel Oak, Highgate, Camden, Hampstead Heath, Regent’s Park, Edgware Road… I saw them all. On foot.

I explored the ghost neighbourhoods of 2021 lockdown London. It was almost eerie — this vibrant city, with tastes and smells and noise, so subdued.

I clocked over 10k steps everyday. It was my evening activity — rain or shine. There was nothing else to distract me.