We all know how running can profoundly improve your health and fitness. But what about your mind? What are the mental benefits of running? Turns out that running can be really positive for your mind too. Let’s take a look at how running can change your mind.
All exercise is good for you. As you know, being physically active on a regular basis has many well-documented health benefits. Cardio exercise, such as running, is particularly effective in raising your health and fitness levels and can even help you change your body.
Click the above link for our rundown on all the ways running can change your body, but for this article, we are going to focus on how running can change your mind.
Let’s explore all the positives as well as find out how much running you need to do to get the benefits.
Running Reduces Anxiety and Stress.
You may have heard people say that they are going for a run to ‘clear their mind’, or ‘grab some me time’. In fact, it’s not a myth, running can do both these things and more.
If you’ve had a particularly difficult day at work, or some other issue is causing you stress, you may just want to lace up, go for a run alone and just enjoy the outdoors, the solitude, and the exercise. This can really help you shake off your worries, de-stress and reset for a while. It’s a welcome change of focus and helps to clear your mind.
There’s a proven reason why this can work for you.
Running, and various other forms of physical exercise, trigger a chemical response in your body.
During exercise, the body will release a number of ‘happy’ chemicals including Endorphins, Serotonin, and Endocannabinoids. Notice the ‘cannabin’ part of that word, it’s not a coincidence that this sounds like cannabis because it’s a similar substance. Your body is actually pumping out a marijuana-like substance.
These releases occur during the run and immediately after the exercise has finished. You’ll notice stress alleviation and a sense of calmness.
Running can provide you with a medically proven stress management tool. Who doesn’t want that?
Running Improves Your Mood.
A welcome addition to anxiety and stress relief is the elevation of your mood during and after a run.
It’s all to do with increased blood circulation in response to the heart rate boost when running. This increased blood circulation affects the brain too. Including the region of your brain that controls stress and mood.
Studies have looked into this mood elevation and why increased blood circulation in the brain triggers this response.(1)
Aside from the neurochemical explanation for this mood elevation, there are other reasons why this may occur, such as-
- Increase in self-esteem. Getting your workout done, especially if you were struggling with motivation, is always a self ‘pat on the back’ moment. A definite boost to your self-image.
- Acknowledgement of the health, fitness, and body composition benefits of getting your workout done is a mood booster.
- Running solo to clear your mind and enjoy the great outdoors, or having fun with friends, no matter your jam. This can make you feel great.
- Running in the sun. Who doesn’t love heading outdoors for some exercise? Experiencing the sun on your skin and the fresh air makes such a welcome break from life indoors. And let’s not forget the benefits of naturally induced vitamin D.
- Exercising regularly is a great boost to your self-confidence. When it becomes a part of your lifestyle, and you begin to identify as a runner, there is often an accompanying elevation in self-confidence.
You may have also heard of the phenomenon of ‘runner’s high’. This is a euphoric feeling runners may occasionally feel after a long run. It’s never guaranteed and can even be quite rare, but it does exist. We wrote an article about runners high, which you should check out here.
Running isn’t a substitute when you are receiving treatment for stress, anxiety, or any other mental condition. You should always seek medical advice and follow prescribed treatment plans. However, running and other forms of physical exercise are a great tool you can employ to help in these situations.
Running Increases Productivity and Creativity.
You’ve got a long work day ahead of you, what’s the one thing you can do to improve your productivity, creativity and sharpen your focus? Go for a run before work.
A recent survey(2) of 1000 workers revealed that those who exercised in the morning before work, noticed positive effects on their productivity and creativity at work. More so than those who didn’t exercise at all, or exercised later in the day.
While running before work or school is a great idea, it’s important to get your runs in whenever you have the opportunity. There are so many health and mind benefits of regular exercise, regardless of the time of day.
Other studies have shown that those same endorphins, as previously mentioned, are the catalysts that stimulate better concentration and sharpen your focus.
Additionally, with the brain also increasing levels of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine during exercise, you will notice you are better able to carry out the tasks of the work day.
So what does all this mean? Going for a run can help you with these great mind enhancing benefits-
- Brainpower boost
- Increased productivity
- Greater creativity
- Improved memory
- Enhanced focus
- Help with learning ability.
Running Helps Prevent Cognitive Decline.
Can you reduce or prevent the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia with physical exercise?
Numerous studies have shown a link between regular exercise, in this case running, and improved brain health.
The frequent increases in blood flow and chemical releases seem to have positive effects on the brain, including reducing the risks of cognitive decline. Even those with early onset of Alzheimer’s or dementia can slow the progress of the disease if they are able to engage in regular physical activity.
Staying physically active well into older age is proven to be an effective tool, along with your diet, that you can use to stay fit and healthy in body and mind.
Here are a few ways physical exercise helps prevent cognitive decline?
- Increased blood flow in the brain.
- Helps stop grey matter shrinkage in older people.
- Increased growth of new blood vessels in the brain.
- Boosted brain plasticity and growth of new neuron connections.
- Increased cell growth.
- Release of protective chemicals.
- Increase in size of the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and learning ability.
Running Helps Recovery from Mental Health Issues.
Many studies have clearly shown the effectiveness of using physical exercise as a treatment for mental health issues. In fact, the natural chemicals released in the brain have proven to be just as effective as medication in some people.
One of the reasons experts are now theorising for the increase in mental illness in western society is the increasing disconnect with nature. Depressive symptoms can often be alleviated by regular contact with the natural world outdoors. Taking a walk, hike or run in the bush or park is a great way to enjoy nature, get some sun and ultimately, lift your mood.
Running can help with mental illness recovery by-
- Replacing unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcohol.
- Giving you a change of focus while you are out there running, away from negative thoughts.
- Releasing ‘feel-good’ chemicals in the brain.
- Enjoying the outdoors and the natural world.
- Giving you a way to socialise with other people.
- Helping you resolve other health issues that may have been a result of your mental health condition, such as high blood pressure or excess weight.
- Lifting your self-esteem and confidence as you achieve your goals and improve your running.
- Helping you sleep better.
Using running as part of your recovery regime can help enormously. Combined with the treatment set out by your healthcare practitioner, you will not only improve your mental wellbeing but your physical health also. Running should always be a happy, fun activity to engage in.
It’s important to approach it in a way that is enjoyable. Taking it one small step at a time, celebrating your improvements, and not putting pressure on yourself to achieve big goals in a short time.
Running as an exercise is a great choice, but you can also enjoy less intensive activity such as walking or hiking for example, on the days you don’t run. Gifting yourself that enjoyable ‘me’ time outside in the sun and nature always feels so good.
How Much Running to Get the Benefits?
You don’t need to run for hours to get the benefits from running. Even 15 minutes is worthwhile and better than nothing at all.
As with the health and fitness benefits derived from running, the advantages to your mental wellbeing are best achieved with at least a 30-minute workout.
We generally recommend at least 30 minutes of running three times a week for recreational runners, with a full recovery day in between.
If you are just starting out running, you should allow 4 to 8 weeks for your body to get used to the physical exercise and for the mental wellbeing benefits to kick in. It’s important to build gradually and get plenty of recovery time, be kind to yourself, don’t push too hard and above all, enjoy the process.
Wrapping It Up. How Running Can Change Your Mind.
In our article about How Running Can Change Your Body, we told you all about how running is a great choice of exercise for your fitness and health, and to help you get the body you want. And so it is with mental wellbeing.
Using running to help with stress, anxiety, mental health recovery and, of course, highly beneficial ‘me’ time is a great way of caring for yourself, or as an addition to other treatments.
Getting started running is less intimidating than going to a gym for the first time. Running is something most people can do, can be done almost anywhere, and doesn’t require loads of expensive equipment.
We would love to help you get started, try our Couch to 5k run plan, or hit us up with any questions you might have.
Once you are comfortably running, you may really enjoy the fun and camaraderie of Parkrun. It’s free, it’s weekly, it’s for everyone, and it’s a lot of fun. Parkrun is a 5k run or walk, available in many cities and towns all over the world. Give it a try.
Whichever way you choose to include running in your life, I am sure you will experience so many of these great benefits.
Please hit us up with any comments you have or ideas and stories you’d like to share, let’s help as many people as we can enjoy the benefits this great running lifestyle offers.
Happy running
Steve
This article is for information purposes only and is not a recommendation to act on any of its content. It is always recommended you consult your healthcare practitioner before engaging in any activity that may affect your health.
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