Why is running good for your mental health?
Physical activity can benefit us in many different ways, including improving our mental health. This blog provides information on the benefits of running for mental health, including the reasons why a person might want to start running.
Whether you are already a frequent runner and you know going out for a run will improve mental wellbeing. Or you may be currently struggling with your mental health and want to do something to improve it. Running is a great activity to take up, as it gives you time on your own in the outdoors, or if you run with people, you get to socialise and be part of a community which also benefits our mental health.
At Coopah, we believe that running can help change lives; it can give people purpose, improve their physical health and importantly refocus them mentally. We are also proud partners of Run4yourmind. Oly, at Run4yourmind is on a mission to raise awareness, support, motivate and inspire others struggling with mental illness to better themselves through the power of running.
Reasons running is good for your mental health
Running regularly at a moderate or vigorous level can improve your mental health. And running in the outdoors has additional benefits including, reducing the feelings of isolation, stress and help with depression and anxiety.
Running can boost our mood in both the short term, for example, the runner’s high, and long term, for example, relief from tension, increased sense of calmness and happiness. Running and exercising also boosts our self esteem and self-confidence which in turn improves our mental health.
Are you running outside? If you are, this can help boost vitamin D and your mood. However, make sure to wear appropriate sun protection.
An additional benefit of running and physical activity is that it improves our sleep. And improving your sleep can significantly improve your mental and emotional health too.
What to be aware of when running?
Some people may start running and then may find it very difficult to have a rest day. But it is crucial to let your body rest and recover every few days. Using a training plan like Coopah, makes taking a recovery much easier as it schedules it in for you. This will prevent us from overtraining.
But with any plan we need to make sure we listen to ourselves, if there is a speed session today but you feel like you are getting ill, it is better to skip that one or have a rest and do it another time when you are feeling better. You can always chat to your Coopah coach if you have any questions.
Another challenge people may come across when running is having to reduce/stop running because of an injury. This can be very tough and hard for runners as we love to run! My advice here would be to focus on what you can do. Can you do rehab or a yoga class? Are you able to go for a swim/ cycle? Can you focus on strengthening your core muscles? All of these things will make you an even better runner on your return.
Having an injury is tough but it can make us really appreciate being able to run again.
Important - make sure your desire to be physically active is from a positive place. Make sure to chat to your support team or GP if your want or need to do physical activity is from a negative place. This can often be the case for some and would not make physical activity as beneficial or enjoyable.
Are you willing to give running a go after hearing all these benefits for your mental health?
At Coopah, we create a personalised training plan specific to you. We also provide you with strength and conditioning sessions with Coach James as well as Yoga classes to help you become the strongest runner.
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.