Running Tips – Psychological Benefits Of Running
By Judy Mick
Most everyone knows that running provides great physical benefits. It keeps you healthy and in super shape. But, many don’t know that running in great for you mentally as well. Here are some ways that running makes you stronger mentally as well as physically.
Running provides great stress relief. There are several ways that this happens. If you have a problem that you need to figure out how to handle, a long run gives you the time to sort it out in your mind. You’d be surprised how clearly you can sort through things during a 2 hour run.
Also, going for a long run can just clear your mind. If you’ve got many things going on in your life, a nice run can help to just get away from things. Many runners will take this time to be by themselves and just be out on the roads – themselves and nature.
Others will run with someone to have company and just forget about their problems.
Another way that runners deal with stress is just going out and blasting through a run. If it’s been an overly stressful day, you can go out and do some speed work. This will help to get all that stress out of you. Trust me, it feels great!
Running will improve your attitude. There are those that think “runner’s high” is a myth. But, there is something to be said about how good you feel after a run. The release of endorphins that accompanies running does make you feel better and keeps you a happier person. There are even some doctors that prescribe a running routine for their patients that are suffering with depression. For these runners, this also helps them to focus on something else rather than their problems.
A regular running program will also improve your confidence. This can happen in many ways. This confidence can come from goals that you set and accomplish. Many runners start running as a means to lose weight. As they reach this goal, they gain confidence to keep on running and it spills over into their everyday life, also. Runners also gain confidence from setting other goals, such as training for a specific race distance, tackling that big hill, getting faster, etc.
You know how running benefits you physically. Isn’t it great to know that running will also help you keep a good attitude and in a good mood? For many people, this may be even more important.
Running is a simple sport – but there are also many things that you need to know and be aware of. Sign up for my Free weekly newsletter at Runner For Life for advice to stay out on the roads and keep running for life.
