Elle Ferguson: ‘I have had endless breakdowns on the treadmill’

Sure, being a beauty influencer might sounds like an enviable life, but would you really give up being able to run out and grab the paper in your trusty tracksuit pants?

I know I wouldn’t.

So it’s no surprise that when Elle Ferguson trains hard, she trains hard at home. In fact, she says a hard slog on the treadmill is more than just her exercise — it’s her therapy, her resilience training, and it helps shape her positive outlook.

And she’s definitely running in the right direction there. Exercise, and especially HIT training, is like a natural antidepressant and mood booster.

Lots of studies have shown that just five minutes of exercise every day can be enough to reduce anxiety improve your mood.

“For me, it’s all about running on the treadmill at home,” she says.

“I love the privacy and the fact I can get really ugly while doing it.

“I’ve been doing an hour-long jog on the treadmill every day and it has been the best possible practice I could have ever done for my mental health.

“I have had endless breakdowns on the treadmill — have cried and cried but pushed through and got it done.

“It also changed the way I thought. At the beginning I was like ‘my legs are so tired I can’t do this’. Now when I run I tell myself ‘your legs are amazing, they got you here, put one foot in front of the other. You did this yesterday and you will do it today’.

“It’s given me a whole new way of thinking.”

She might be running in place, but the founder of Elle Effect Cosmetics told Health Hacker she also feels like she’s running into a post-COVID future where people are nicer to themselves, and to each other.

“I feel that there is this wave of kindness coming through. I’m looking forward to more people being kind,” she says.

“All people supporting others, and most of all women lifting other women up.”

ELLE FERGUSON ON…

Diet

“I have been vegetarian for a few years now and I love it. Five things you’ll always find in my fridge are Greek yoghurt, cut pineapple, dark chocolate, sparkling water and a Hello Fresh meal kit.”

Exercise

“For me the goal is to hit 10km in one hour on the treadmill. I run six days a week and I really want to keep that goal for another year. It has made me so much stronger mentally and physically but I also like the boundaries that I’m setting for myself by allowing myself to have that hour.”

Routine

“I love writing lists and ticking things off — I get a real sense of achievement even if it’s the tiniest thing. Other than that, I really try and take a few deep breaths at the beginning of the day and set my intention. I started doing this during lockdown and saw a huge difference in my mood and how I tackled the day.”

Life motto

“I have a few: ‘Have courage and be kind’, ‘flip the script’, and ‘just do it’.”

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