It has been Lena Dunham’s goal to create a healthier lifestyle for herself, but running always got in the way. She decided she needed to fix this problem by hiring a running coach.

Not being the most athletic girl, Dunham as always felt self-conscious about the way she runs. “Basically my whole life I hated running and I run like a wounded baby Pterodactyl,” shared Dunham on her Instagram account.

With such an adamant feeling towards running, it was a surprise when Dunham picked it up.

Entertainment Online reports that her Girls character Hannah Horvath inspired her to embrace exercise.

“@jennikonner is directing the season finale of Girls and decided that as Hannah evolved so would her run, so she got me a training session with Matt Wilpers from Mile High Run Club,” explains Dunham.

After her work with the running coach, Dunham didn’t want to give it up. She decided that she wanted to keep working on it and continues to work with Wilpers.

“Within an hour I had a different relationship to this formerly torturous activity. I felt strong, swift, and proud.”

Dunham is dedicated to running now when she discovered it helped her manage her anxiety and gave her peace of mind. Still, she doesn’t see herself getting too intense about it.

“I’m not about to embrace that triathlon life but it’s a true joy to continue getting connected to my body and its power.”

Image via Instragram from Lena Dunham
Credit: Elder Ordonez/INFphoto.com