Physical activity can benefit us in many different ways, including being a great way to improve our mental health. This blog gives you 5 reasons why running helps improve your mental health. Here are 5 ways running can help your mental health:

1. Running reminds us that we can do hard things

Whether it is the run you have been dreading all day or completing your first 5K, 10K, Half. Marathon or even you 10th Marathon. Achieving that challenge helps us realise that we can do it! We can do what we set our minds to. This relates to non-running life situations too, imagine you come face to face with a challenge in your career, if you apply your running mindset to this and create a plan to overcome and succeed this challenge just like that 10K.

2. Help with loneliness

Many runners (anyone who runs is a runner) follow fellow runners on social media, be it Strava, Instagram, reddit, etc. or/and are a member of a running club/group and have participated in some sort of running event. The great thing about running is even though it can be a very individual sport, it can be very sociable too, take your Wednesday Night Run Club for example or sharing your runs with your fellow running buddies via social media.

A great way to get to know runners in your local area is heading to your local Parkrun or joining a running club. A few of our favourite running clubs include RunTalkRun and if you are Nottingham based, be sure to get in contact with Embankment Run Club.

3. Reduce Stress

The stress response can be a short-term reaction that helps people cope with threats. When you experience stress, your body releases the hormone cortisol. In small amounts, it can be beneficial: the stress response causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, which can have positive effects such as improved concentration and more energy to handle a stressful situation, but it also has a negative effect on your body and mind when it's released in response to less urgent stresses and chronically elevated cortisol levels are linked to an increased risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and depression.

Aerobic exercises, like running, use up excess adrenaline in the bloodstream, helping to reduce the production of cortisol and improve recovery after stressful events. This can help improve your ability to cope with stress in general over time.

3. Improve your sleep

Forms of exercise, like running, boost serotonin (a hormone involved in the sleep-wake cycle), which may improve the brain’s ability to metabolise serotonin and regulate sleep. However, it is important not to go for a run too close to bedtime (no less than 2hours before) as this can have a negative effect on your sleep. This is due to the endorphin release associated with exercise can energize your brain, leading some people to feel more alert.

And research shows if you get better sleep, your mental health improves. Enough sleep, especially REM sleep which facilitates the brain’s processing of emotional information will improve our mood. It appears that a lack of sleep is especially harmful to the consolidation of positive emotional content which can influence mood and emotional reactivity and our mental health.

5. The Running Community

The running community includes so many inspirational runners and runners who are so supportive to their fellow running buddies. There are so many ways to get involved, for example, sign up to a running event, attend your local parkrun or join your local running group. You can also join the Coopah Community where we provide you with a personalised training plan specific to your running goals, a 24/7 Coach and a phenomenal community of runners.

Give running a go and see what it can do for you!

At Coopah, we create a personalised training plan specific to you. We also provide you with Strength and Conditioning sessions as well as Yoga classes to help you become a strong and injury free runner!

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The Coopah app is supported on both Android and iOS devices.

You can download the Coopah app for Android devices from the Google Play Store. Users of iOS devices can find it in the App Store.

If you are struggling with your mental health, make sure to contact 0300 123 3393 (Mind) or 999 (if it is an emergency) or contact Samaritans via the web chat or 116 123. They can provide the right resources and excellent advice.