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THE 7 BENEFITS OF RUNNING AND EXERCISING FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH

 

The advantages of running and training go well beyond your physical health, the sport works just as many wonders for your mental health and wellness.

 

1.     RUNNING HELPS IMPROVE OUR MOOD

 

We can feel this particular benefit of running for mental health while still on the move or as soon as we finish our kilometres. Running releases endorphins in the brain, and these endorphins act as a painkiller during physical discomfort. The release of these feel-good hormones. Running can help our mind break out depression and bring on positive thinking. All it takes to boost our endorphins is a run just long enough to push us out of our comfort zone.

 

2.     RUNNING REDUCES STRESS

 

Behind stress is a hormone called cortisol. When we feel stressed, our adrenal glands release cortisol into our bloodstream in an increased amount. The act of running is an additional stressor, activating stress response in our body and the release of cortisol.

 

Just like progressive training helps our body adapt to handle a higher load, increasing cortisol in our system helps our body adapt so it can better handle similar stressful situations in the future. Physical exercise helps our body return to its equilibrium, and even just 10 minutes of moderate-intensity running can help our brain regulate stress.

 

3.     RUNNING HELPS BUILD MENTAL WELLNESS

 

Running is a great mental sport as it helps develop our mental toughness and resilience. Not only does running help deal with stress, but it also supports quicker rebound during future stressful moments and builds greater resilience in the long-term.

 

4.     RUNNING IMPROVES BRAIN FUNCTION

 

There are close to 100 billion nerve cells in our brain, connected by neurotransmitters. exercise increases the function of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, best known for influencing happiness, sleep, and good memory.

 

By raising our neurotransmitters, exercise really makes a difference how we feel, and very importantly, we have control over the way we feel by moving our body.

 

5.     RUNNING LEADS TO BETTER SLEEP

 

Sleep is critical for our mental health, while the lack of it has the power to worsen our mental well-being. Sleep plays a role in supporting our brain, heart, overall health, and how long we will live.

 

Physical activity and sleep are linked, running can lead to improved sleep quality, making the kilometres we put in all the more worth it.

 

6.     RUNNING SUPPORTS MINDFULNESS

 

Mindfulness is all about living in the present moment, and practicing mindfulness can help manage mental health conditions.One of the goals of mindfulness when it comes to mental health is this idea of being able to pause, notice unhelpful thinking, reframe the thought, and move from there. Through mindfulness, a person is more in control of their thinking, instead of their thinking being in control of them.

 

7.     RUNNING IS A GREAT TOOL FOR TREATING MENTAL DISORDERS

 

More than 100 millions of adults experience mental illness. Running can be part of our plan because it helps trigger the release of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. These feel-good chemicals are often depleted by mental disorders.

We lose nerve cells, and exercise helps reproduce them and make them tougher, make them stronger so they can withstand the stresses of everyday life.

 

Antidepressant drugs are based on helping fire neurotransmitters in our brain and increase their concentration, and running works just as well as the medication to support our healthy brain.

 

Running can support a range of mental disorders, including anxiety, the most common mental illness, and depression.

 

Focus On Nice Regular Runs, Good Exercises Weekly, To Run And Train Supports And Activates Your Mental Health For Well-Being, Joy And Happiness!

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