Improve Mental Health Through Running

Almost everyone is aware of the physical benefits of running, but not all are knowledgeable about its impact on mental health. Research shows that people suffering from mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety greatly benefit from running. Running is not only an aerobic exercise that promotes the release of stress-fighting hormones (which consequently improve or stabilize mood), but it also strengthens certain neurological pathways in the brain related to memory and cognition.

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Those who are depressed complain of having low energy and lack of self-esteem. Depression is a vicious cycle wherein the absence of brain chemicals affects the physical body, preventing hormone production. For people with depression, it can be difficult to take the first step in improving their well-being. Running, however, is the easiest exercise to do because it requires very little in terms of gears and equipment. All one need is a good pair of running shoes.

Many health experts recommend running, particularly, running a marathon, because there is an element of purpose. Participants need to train to join a marathon with the goal to finish the race. This type of training helps build confidence. Studies show that people who completed their first marathon have improved mental health particularly in how they assess their self-worth, self-respect, and self-confidence. Marathon training also builds key life traits such as discipline, motivation, determination, and inner strength.

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Race to The Top: Valuable Leadership Skills You Develop as a Runner

Those who participate in sports can learn many skills that they can use to become better leaders and more fulfilled human beings in general. Runners can develop some special skills training for foot races that they can carry over to daily life.

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• Preparation is key - One can’t simply decide to run a marathon and race the next day. Barring the comic superhero, The Flash, no one can run 26.219 miles or more without the proper physical and mental training, the right gear, and a prepared support team. The same is true for starting on an endeavor. Leaders cannot come up with an idea and then expect it to be perfect and precise immediately. Everything requires preparation, research, and the right minds and hands to execute the plan.

• Demeanor matters - Much like how athletes need to develop the proper form for maximum performance, leadership also has an ideal structure. That is, according to this Economist blog, to be seen as a leader and be an effective one too, a person has to project the look and sound of someone solid, reliable, powerful, and knowledgeable. This means anything from being eloquent, well-dressed, and poised.
• Having clear goals helps - Goal-setting is an integral part of running a marathon. This undertaking is by no means easy, and can take up a lot of time. However, it doesn’t have to be an impossible quest with the right motivation and dedication. Leadership also requires a clear vision and objective, and the ability to motivate one’s team to work for the common goal.
• Quick-thinking creates race winners and leaders - Admittedly, even with enough preparation, extraneous factors like injuries, getting lost, or inclement weather can threaten to slow runners down. Thinking clearly under duress can help a runner make the right call for any situation – whether it means powering on or choosing to go to the hospital. The same is true for a leader. Sometimes one may find solutions for problems, and sometimes it’s time to face the music and pivot. What makes one a true leader is the ability to assess the situation and make clear-headed decisions. 

Without a doubt running, as well as many other sports, can expose people to useful insights and learning experiences that can turn them into effective and efficient leaders.

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REPOST: Run For Your Life: 6 Health Benefits Of Running Just 5 Minutes Every Day

It’s time to lace up and hit the pavement to chase the benefits of running five minutes every day. Read the article below:

Lace up and hit the pavement to chase the benefits of a 5-minute run, from improving blood pressure to living three years longer. | Image Source: medicaldaily.com

Non-runners view running as a painful, tedious, and exhausting form of exercise that should be avoided unless you’re trying to get in shape and lose weight. The post-workout panting and muscle soreness may do more for your health, though, than just shed the pounds and tone you up. Running just five minutes a day can actually reduce your all-cause risk of mortality and let you breathe in three more years of life.

Currently, only five percent of American adults do some sort of physical activity on any given day, according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. These vigorous physical activities include using cardiovascular exercise equipment and running. The average healthy adult should actually be doing at least two hours and 30 minutes each week or aerobic physical activity at a moderate level, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or one hour and 15 minutes each week of aerobic physical activity at a vigorous level.

Running is considered a vigorous-intensity aerobic activity that can help you meet your physical activity requirements and benefit your overall health. You don’t have to run fast to make an impact. Fifteen minutes of brisk walking, or better yet five minutes of running is all it takes to reap the mortality benefits of the most accessible sport.

It’s time to lace up and hit the pavement to chase the benefits of running five minutes every day.

1. Better Brain Performance

Exercise is able to raise heart rate and increase the flow of oxygen-rich blood in the body, including the brain. A 2013 study published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience found shorter term aerobic exercise, like running, improves brain, cognition, and cardiovascular fitness in healthy aging adults. Sedentary adults who exercise regularly can lead to an increase in brain blood flow to the hippocampus — the key brain region that is affected by Alzheimer’s disease. It’s important to know while physical exercise is associated with a selective or regional brain blood flow, it does no produce a change in global brain blood flow.

2. Better Mood

Whether you’re having a bad day or you’re in a good mood, running will boost your spirits and make you feel positive. Runners actually have attested to the alleged “runner’s high,” which is the feeling people get after they’ve finished a good job or run. Intense endurance activity is suspected to lead to an increase in endocannabinoids – the brain chemicals that signal pleasure, according to a 2012 study published in The Journal of Experimental Biology. The “neurobiological rewards” theory of the runner’s high could also imply we as humans have evolved to enjoy running.

3. Better Sleep

Going on a daily morning run can become your sleeping aid for getting a good night’s sleep. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found those who run regularly in the mornings showed an improvement in objective sleep. Subjective sleep quality, mood, and concentration during the day improved, whereas sleepiness during the day decreased. Although the study focused on running during the day, an afternoon or night run can also reduce sleeping difficulty through its body-heating effects. Exercise is known to trigger an increase in body temperature, and the post-exercise drop in temperature may promote falling asleep. Moreover, exercise can reduce sleeping problems by decreasing arousal, anxiety, and depression.

4. Reduces High Blood Pressure

Men and women at all blood pressure levels can benefit from regular aerobic activity, including running. Although running can cause blood pressure levels to spike temporarily, these exercise-induced elevations in blood pressure should not be of concern. The benefits of running for five minutes a day can also be achieved by 15 minutes of brisk walking, says the American Heart Association. It can lower your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes as much as running.

5. Reduces Cardiovascular Disease

Running for 5 minutes every day can cut your risk of cardiovascular disease by almost half. People who run regularly have a 30 percent lower risk of death from all causes, and a whopping 45 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, according to a 2014 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Weekly running, even 5 to 10 minutes a day and at slow speeds less than 6 miles per hour, will suffice to reduce the risk of mortality, compared with not running.

6. Increases Lifespan By Three Years

Running does not only reduce the odds of cardiovascular disease, it can add years to your lifespan — specifically three. People who exercise regularly are found to live an average of three years longer than their sedentary counterparts, according to the study previously mentioned. Adding years to your life is as simple as doing a 15-minute walk or a 5-minute run. The substantial and mortality benefits can mean a difference between life and death for sedentary individuals.

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