We are always being told that stress is on the rise, and recent research by YouGov found that 38% of employees think their stress levels are higher than they were last year. But as a runner you have the perfect way to unwind and relieve the pressure. It is well known that regular exercise helps to beat stress; doctors prescribe exercise to help people tackle anxiety-related and mood disorders, and a study published in Psychology, Health and Medicine found that regular runners report being in a better mood and feeling less anxiety on running days than on days they don’t run.
So how does it work? One theory is that exercise is a healthy way to work off physical stress hormones, such as cortisol, whilst also triggering the release of feelgood endorphins throughout the body. Another school of thought says that physical exercise focuses your mind on something else besides your work worries therefore giving your poor brain a break. Putting aside time for exercise, particularly when you are busy, can be a good way of getting quality ‘you-time’ to relax and clear your head, and your running is something you can be in control of rather than trying to control everything in the crazy world around you.
Starting a regular exercise program is a good relaxer even when you aren’t under stress and can help prepare you better for when life gets more difficult. Allowing stress to build up can leave you run-down and at increased risk of depression and other illnesses, and lower your immunity so you may be more susceptible to infections such as colds and flu- just what you need when you are already snowed under and stressed-out. But regular moderate exercise can help you fight back by making your immune system stronger and helping your stay strong in body and mind.
Running is one of the best exercises to pick for beating stress as you can do it anywhere with the bare minimum of specialist gear and however busy you are it is easy to squeeze in the odd tension-relieving jog. Also, you don’t need to go on a course or receive specialist training, and you don’t need to be a marathon runner to get the psychological benefits of running, just twenty minutes a few times a week can be enough to make you feel less stressed.
Other Recommended Reading
- Running Sleepy – Run yourself to sleep!
- Run Away From Colds & Flu
- That couple that runs together – Motivational Tip 12
- What do I think about when I’m running?
- Back to school… running school that is.
About the author
I am a trained medical doctor and a writer specialising in health and medicine, fitness and outdoor sports and dreaming about becoming a novelist. I have been a runner for many years and have run-explored in places around the world including Paris, Barcelona, Lausanne, Porto, California, New York and North Carolina, to name a few. I also enjoy swimming, cycling, badly attempting sailing and other watersports, and thinking about doing a triathlon (whilst sitting comfortably at home drinking copius amounts of tea).
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