{"id":1346,"date":"2019-07-21T18:25:28","date_gmt":"2019-07-21T18:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/carolineg1.sg-host.com\/index.php\/2019\/07\/21\/running-for-mental-health\/"},"modified":"2023-04-24T21:42:09","modified_gmt":"2023-04-24T20:42:09","slug":"running-for-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.runwithcaroline.com\/running-for-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Running for mental health: 7 ways running can help you overcome anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
There’s no doubt – running makes you feel great. Running for mental health is one of the most common reasons why people are taking up the sport in droves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve written about the post-run rush on my blog many times and it’s one of the reasons I love running to this day and continue to run a few times a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I still remember the moment I crossed the finish line of my first half marathon so clearly and how amazing it made me feel (despite the sore legs and blisters on my feet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The endorphins running through my body felt electric and in that moment I forgot about all my day to day worries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lot of runners joke about how running literally helps them run away from their problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I suppose this is how my love affair with running started all those years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had just gradated from university and I moved back home with my parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was suddenly back living in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere when I had spent the previous three years living in a huge exciting city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My life had changed in so many ways in a space of a few months and I didn’t have a plan in terms of where my life was going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had spent three months working hard to get my degree, and I didn’t have a ‘respectable’ job go into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I felt ashamed. I felt I had failed. I felt I had lost control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I desperately looked for ways to gain back some control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I knew getting a job would be a longer goal to work towards. I wanted something to preoccupy my time in between working at shifts at Starbucks and being at home with my parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I remember my very first run so clearly. I felt incredibly self-conscious, hot (not in a good way) and…out of breath!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But despite these feelings, I felt so relieved and empowered!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a literal breath of fresh air to take me away from my anxious and negative thoughts that were dragging me down each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the end of the run, with the post-run endorphins rushing through my body, I felt I could take on the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it seems a lot of people view running in the same way. It’s no surprise that so many of us in the UK and worldwide are taking up running each month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this blog post, I’d like to share some of the benefits when it comes to running and how it can help anxiety and reduce its symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Running is not a substitute for therapy, medication, or medical advice, but it can certainly function as a great way to ease symptoms of anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Running provides a welcome release from the worries and distractions of daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By getting outdoors in the fresh air, it takes you away from those daily pressures and allows you to clear your mind of worrying thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I find running to be a good way to clear my head and sort through some of my thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes just expending some of the nervous energy rushing through my body can make me feel more relaxed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Running makes your body release ‘feel-good’ hormones like dopamine, serotonin, endorphins and norepinephrine which contribute to the amazing feel you get during and after a run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even walking can contribute to an improved mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moving your body has positive effects on your physical and mental wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This adds to the already significant body of research showing that running and other forms of exercise can improve mood and help fight anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n