Running Toward a New Life

Hassan had been working at a desk for ten years without doing any exercise. He often felt tired, and climbing the stairs to his office made him breathless. One morning, his doctor warned him that his blood pressure was becoming dangerously high. "If you don't change your habits, you will face serious problems," the doctor said seriously. That evening, Hassan bought a pair of running shoes and made a simple plan. At first, he could only run for two minutes before he had to stop. However, he refused to give up and went to the park every morning before work. He also replaced fast food with vegetables, fruit, and grilled fish. While he was running one day, he met a group of friendly runners from his neighborhood. They invited him to train with them, which made exercise feel less boring. After three months, Hassan had lost eight kilograms and was sleeping much better. When he visited the doctor again, his blood pressure had returned to a normal level. The doctor smiled at the results and asked him what his secret was. "There is no secret," Hassan answered, "I simply decided that my health matters more than my excuses."