It’s the most magical time of the year – and it can be a whole lot more magical with a Christmas Day run. A post-run kick of endorphins will lift your mood and make the stress of the big day feel a bit more manageable. Just remember to get home before lunch is ready!
With so much responsibility on your shoulders on Christmas Day, from cooking for the in-laws to playing Santa, many of us feel guilty about stealing 30 minutes to ourselves. But after a busy few weeks getting everything prepared, factoring in some quiet time is the perfect way to help you enjoy the day, and perhaps restore a little sanity, away from a house full of excited children or boozy relatives. Need further convincing? Here’s why we love a Christmas run…
1. It’ll work up your appetite
You don’t need to do anything to ‘earn’ your dinner today or any other day. You can always have as many roast potatoes as you bloomin’ well like. But there’s nothing quite like a sweaty morning run to make you feel properly hungry for that big old feast. More sprouts? Yes please.
2. You can avoid your least favourite jobs
Not a fan of peeling parsnips? Don’t fancy hoovering up pine needles? A well-timed run is the perfect way to duck out of the worst Christmas jobs. We know it’s sneaky, but we’re taking the wins where we can here.
3. You’ll burn off some steam with a Christmas Day run
Let’s face it; a house full of excited children and argumentative in-laws is enough to test anyone’s patience. Getting out for a run on Christmas morning is the perfect way to clear your head before the big day kicks off – particularly if you’re hosting! And if things get too much late afternoon, what better way to de-stress and make room for the cheese and biscuits? Life will be much more pleasant afterwards, trust us.
4. Meet up with your running friends on a Christmas Day run
Christmas Day is about coming together with people that matter – and your running buddies matter too. Plenty of parkruns across the UK will be hosting Christmas Day events. So even if you’re planning to spend Christmas on your own this year, you can go along to parkrun for a bit of a celebration of running in the morning.
5. You get to feel all smug
Nothing puts a smug little smile on our faces like a morning run: you’ll feel glowy all day. If you want to feel extra pleased with yourself, options range from taking the dog out with you to wishing happy Christmas to passers-by. What’s more, you can relax on Christmas evening knowing that you ran today and can take Boxing Day off. Time for another G&T!
