7 Ways Running Helps Your Mental Health

Today I am sharing a post from fellow blogger Amanda, who blogs over at Mumtastic Life. She has personally found that running has helped her mental health and wanted to share with you the reasons she feels it has helped her. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

I love to run. I also love talking about running, reading about running and watching running. Sounds boring?

Maybe, to you.

For me, running has changed my life, so my fixation is valid.

Just a quick note. I am not a medical professional and do not offer this as medical advice. This is my own personal experience and I encourage you to seek advice from a medical professional if you have any concerns about your health and wellbeing.

My mental health and running story.

Hi, I’m Amanda. I am 41 years old (in 2022), 2 children, homeschooler, blogger and runner.

I’ve struggled with mental health issues for most of my life, especially since the beginning of high school (I’m sure I’m not alone there).

My battles with anxiety disorders, obsessive thoughts, and depression were on and off from the age of 11 to, well, a few years ago.

I tried every type of talking therapy, CBT, group therapy. It all helped, for a while, but nothing lasted.

Then, after the birth of my second child, I was thrown into a whole new world of mental illness. I suffered from Postpartum Psychosis and then almost 2 years of Postnatal depression (PND).

It was the most difficult time of my life.

I was trying all the usual stuff, but nothing was really sticking. Even after agreeing to try medication for the first time, it just made things bearable, but not good.

I was still plagued with chronic insomnia, obsessive thoughts, severe anxious episodes, and periods of extreme depression.

I’ve always loved exercise, but I was more of a yoga, pilates, hiking girl. Running was something I had played with whilst living in Sydney, but it was always alone and never more that 2 miles.

I read an article in a magazine about a woman who had come out of PND though regular running and I thought, why not?

I joined the Facebook page of my local running group and eventually, 4 months later, I went for their beginner run session.

It was a freezing cold, dark January night. I had slept about 3 hours the previous night and I was pretty terrified of running with a bunch of strangers. But I had completely had enough of feeling so out of control. I wanted to be a happy mother and enjoy my life.

So I went out into the cold (it actually snowed that night) and ran 3 miles with a brilliant group of friendly runners.

And that was basically it. It hooked me from the word go.

Did running change my mental health immediately?

Of course not. But I knew I had found something to give me back my power and fight back.

5 Years on from that night, I am an avid member of my running club and run 3-4 times a week still. I don’t run to compete, win medals or even for my physical health (even though feeling fit is great). I run to protect my mental health.

Why is running so good for your mental health?

I won’t go into the science behind regular exercise and mental health too deeply, as I am not a medical practitioner, but these are my 7 reasons running helps your mental health. This is from my personal experience. If you want to read more about the medical benefits of running, WebMD has a great article here.

7 Ways Running Helps Your Mental Health.

1. Reduces Your Stress Levels. When you run, you get to let go of the day. Running gives you a temporary feeling of calm. I like to “run off the worries”. If your head is feeling foggy, pulling on your running shoes and getting out the door is a quick pick me up.
2. Increases Confidence. When you first run, managing 1 or 2 miles might seem like a distant goal, but it’s amazing how quickly you get there. Then you move onto 5 miles, then 10 and maybe much further. With every mile you add onto your run, your confidence increases too. When you’ve been through mental health breakdown, confidence is in short supply.
3. Uplifts your mood. You’ve probably heard of the runners high? I don’t know exactly how many miles you need to run to achieve this state, but I know it exists. Running gives you a boost of the happy hormones, pumps more blood around your body and gives you a general uplifting feeling. The more you run, the more you feel like this.
4. Improves your sleep. Insomnia was the worst part of my mental health illness. It is the most lonely, isolating and thought consuming condition. Plus, quality sleep is essential for good physical and mental health. Running helps you fall asleep quicker and for me, helps me to sleep more deeply. A word of warning. Running too late in the evening can have an adverse impact on sleep. Especially high energy runs like tempo or speed work. I try to avoid running for at least 3 hours before bed.
5. Gives you a community. Running with your local run club is a great way to exercise. You get to run, have a chat, support each others running goals, celebrate milestones and get involved in a club community. I love a long run on Sundays with my club. I call it my weekly therapy. Even if you can’t get to a local running club, you can now join virtual run groups through Strava, Garmin or a host of online running apps. Being involved in a running community takes the benefits of running for mental health to a new level.
6. Strengthens your body. Every extra mile you achieve, your body becomes stronger. The stronger and fitter you physically feel, the more you feel like taking on life’s challenges. Feeling happy and healthy needs to come from a nurtured body, mind, and spirit. They kind of go hand in hand. Having a strong body and resilient mind opened up a whole new world for me. I found the courage to start my own business, started homeschooling my kids and even found the confidence to speak on podcasts about my mental health journey.
7. Gives you a purpose and routine. Whether it’s entering your first race, completing Couch to 5k or simply getting yourself outside during the cold winter months running gives you a goal. Having a purpose and routine is a small chink of light when you are living with depression or other mental health illness.

How to get started running for mental health.

Find a local club. If you can’t, then join an online program or community.

Start small. Even if it’s just running to the end of your road and back. Start where you are.

Be consistent. Even in the depths of winter, I still run. Winter is actually the most important time to keep active, especially if you find the dark months triggering for your low mood.

How do you feel about running now?

Running for me is a non-negotiable part of my self-care routine. Even in our busiest family weeks, I still prioritise my runs. I am a happier, more relaxed and more joyful mother when I look after myself first and for me, this means running.

I take part in our run clubs run and talk initiative and will speak to anyone about the positive impact running has had on my life.

Running is not the only thing that I do to keep myself mentally well, but it’s the biggest component in my mental health formula. My formula comprises regular running, daily meditation, journaling, slow living, constant self-growth and lots of self-care.

It took me decades to find my own mental health formula, one that works for me. Running was the catalyst that started this journey back to mental wellness and for that, I will always be grateful to my feet and the places they can take me.

Happy running to you all.

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