If you\u2019ve spent the last few years feeling personally victimised by your smartwatch, you aren\u2019t alone. We\u2019ve become a nation obsessed with the grind, where a 5km run doesn\u2019t count unless it\u2019s uploaded to a leaderboard and your heart rate has hit the red zone.<\/p>\n
But according to the women behind Australia\u2019s biggest wellness empire, we\u2019re officially over it.<\/p>\n
This is where the Soft Escape<\/a> comes in. It\u2019s a movement that rejects the \u2018toxic\u2019 pressure to constantly chase PBs and instead asks a radical question: What if you just ran because it felt good?<\/p>\n NEED TO KNOWAfter years of \u201cgrind culture\u201d, Australia\u2019s biggest wellness moguls are officially rejecting the standard gym model for a radical new approach.Just 14 weeks after welcoming son Atlas, Laura Henshaw reveals why she\u2019s ditching the \u201cbounce-back\u201d pressure for a strategy she calls the \u201cSoft Escape<\/a>.\u201dWhile we\u2019re told to disconnect, many women prefer not to run without a phone. There\u2019s one specific setting Laura uses to find solitude without going off-grid.We put the \u201cSoft Escape\u201d to the test to see if a non-runner could actually find joy without a leaderboard or steps counted.The \u2018Atlas\u2019 effect<\/p>\n KIC <\/a>co-founders Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw<\/a> are the catalysts for this pivot. For Laura, \u201cThe Soft Escape\u201d isn\u2019t a marketing slogan; it\u2019s a survival strategy. Just 14 weeks ago, she welcomed her son, Atlas. <\/p>\n Her return to the pavement has been a raw departure from the \u201cbounce-back\u201d culture we usually see online, one where the goal isn\u2019t to hit a pre-baby pace, but to simply find twenty minutes of solitude.<\/p>\n But for most women, the dream of \u201cunplugging\u201d comes with a side of realistic anxiety. We\u2019re told to \u201cdisconnect,\u201d yet we carry our phones for safety, music, and \u2013 in Laura\u2019s case \u2013 to ensure a post-partum body isn\u2019t being pushed too hard, too soon.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has definitely changed since becoming a mum,\u201d Laura admits. \u201cThere were times when I would go for a run to the beach for a swim without my phone, but now my phone comes everywhere with me.\u201d<\/p>\n The trick to a \u2018Soft Escape<\/a>\u2019 isn\u2019t about disappearing off the grid; it\u2019s about being selectively available. It\u2019s using your phone as a safety tool and a coach, while silencing the noise that makes you feel like you\u2019re \u2018on the clock\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve only just started running again this week,\u201d Laura says. \u201cI\u2019m following our KICRun<\/a> return to running post-partum program, so I need my phone and AirPods so I can follow the prompts on when to run, and when to slow down, so I can build up my running strength safely.\u201d<\/p>\n For Laura, the mental shift happens the moment the Do Not Disturb kicks in. \u201cFor me, as long as I have my notifications muted, I find I\u2019m usually able to switch off.\u201d<\/p>\n The goal isn\u2019t a marathon; it\u2019s a mental reset. <\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t pour from an empty cup,\u201d Laura explains. \u201cTaking 30 minutes for yourself isn\u2019t selfish \u2013 it\u2019s necessary. When you take that time to recharge, you\u2019re actually better equipped to show up for the people in your life.\u201d<\/p>\n Confessions of a dabbler<\/p>\n To see if this soft approach could actually work for a non-runner, I decided to quit the gym for two weeks.<\/p>\n My running history is thin. I dabbled in a half-marathon 15 years ago and haven\u2019t really touched the pavement or treadmill since. I\u2019m the person who usually needs a connected scorecard and a loud HIIT timer and a lot of red heart rate zones to feel like I\u2019ve done enough.<\/p>\n But it isn\u2019t doing me any good. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I do love it, but I also need to find balance and have enough left in the tank afterwards for everything else. <\/p>\n For 14 days, I\u2019m going to follow the KIC<\/a> x New Balance \u2018Run for Joy\u2019 challenge<\/a>. I\u2019m a few days in so far, I\u2019ve ditched the watch, ignored the splits and followed Steph\u2019s lead \u2026<\/p>\n Focus on the feeling, not the digits.<\/p>\n \u201cA workout can often feel like something you have to do \u2013 it\u2019s structured, goal-oriented, and sometimes even a little intimidating,\u201d Steph tells me. <\/p>\n \u201cA \u2018Soft Escape\u2019 run<\/a> focuses on mental health benefits over physical. It\u2019s an opportunity to reconnect with running for the pure joy of it.\u201d<\/p>\n The hardest part hasn\u2019t been the running; it\u2019s the thought of maybe having to run in silence to get the benefits of a soft escape. <\/p>\n Steph admits even she swaps between music and silence depending on the mental hum of the day. \u201cWhen I\u2019m feeling overstimulated, running to feel-good music \u2026 or even silence and just listening to the noises around me, helps me de-stress and regulate my emotions,\u201d Steph says.<\/p>\n By Day 4, the \u201cmental hum\u201d of my own busy work day actually started to quieten. I stopped checking for a digital beep and started checking in with my body. As Steph advised, I looked for the markers that actually matter: Are my shoulders relaxed? Is my jaw no longer clenched?<\/p>\n The $240 beginner strategy: can a shoe actually help you \u2018unplug\u2019?<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a beginner \u2013 or someone like me who hasn\u2019t seriously touched the pavement in a long time \u2013 the biggest barrier to running isn\u2019t usually how fit you worry you aren\u2019t; it\u2019s your feet. Or rather, your shoes<\/a>. <\/p>\n I\u2019ve dabbled with the idea of starting running again over the years, I\u2019ve even started Couch to 5km a few times, but it never stuck. This time, I chose the New Balance Ellipse, $240 from newbalance.com.au<\/a> specifically because they\u2019re designed for this exact entry point.<\/p>\n Unlike high-performance marathon shoes that can feel aggressive and stiff, the Ellipse is an \u2018anti-grind\u2019 trainer. It\u2019s built with something New Balance describes as \u201creimagined Fresh Foam X cushioning\u201d, which gives a bouncy underfoot feeling. <\/p>\n In my opinion, as someone starting from zero, that extra padding does help you lose track of time.<\/p>\n Laura Henshaw, who is navigating her own return to movement 14 weeks post-partum, has been \u201cliving\u201d in them for that exact reason. \u201cI\u2019ve been living in the New Balance Ellipse<\/a>, they\u2019re just so comfy!\u201d she says.<\/p>\n For a beginner, the $240 price tag<\/a> is an investment in comfort that removes the chore factor. It\u2019s not about running fast; it\u2019s about having a shoe that makes the ground feel soft enough that you actually forget you\u2019re working out.<\/p>\n The verdict<\/p>\n The Soft Escape <\/a>is less about cardio and more about a boundary.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so easy to get caught up in the numbers \u2013 pace, distance, calories burned \u2013 but trust me, that completely strips away the joy out of running,\u201d Laura warns. \u201cYour watch can\u2019t measure the joy you feel from moving your body.\u201d<\/p>\n After two weeks, I\u2019m not faster. I haven\u2019t climbed any leaderboards. But for the first time in 15 years, I didn\u2019t spend my entire run wishing it was over.<\/p>\n And in 2026, that feels like the only metric that matters. <\/p>\n If you want to see how I got on over the full two weeks, check out our Instagram <\/a>and TikTok<\/a>. <\/p>\n Want more shopping news? Make sure to sign up to our weekly shopping newsletter <\/a>(it\u2019s free) to stay on top of the latest deals, trends and product roundups.<\/p>\n