Many runners run and continue running, because of the mental aspects. It can be a challenge to find documented knowledge, which shows the precise relationship between running and mental health. However, “Emotions are created by motion” as the super coach Tony Robbins says. It’s well-known that running has a positive impact on our mental well-being since it is demonstrated in several studies and when we ask runners about their experiences. Marathon Training as Therapy and some of the mental benefits of regular running, in general, are very positive. This post is about why marathon training as therapy is outstanding.
Running And The Relationship With Yourself
In many ways, you get a closer relationship with yourself. You become more sensitive in a fine-tuned and balanced way – from both the outside and the inside coming. You feel more alive when your body feels good.
Therefore, running is often a means, not an end in itself. One of the most important reasons to run is the liberating calm when we run and several hours after finishing. Also, the hurdle of overcoming our comfort and putting our personal initiative through implies a strengthening of the mental capacity, which promotes the mental and physical experience.
Many of us become addicted to running and particularly long-distance running because of these factors. Whether it’s good or bad is up to you to evaluate.
In my opinion, it is good because “repetition is the mother of skill”, and running a lot creates and maintains a good and healthy habit where you become better both in terms of your running skills and your personal life quality.
Running as Therapy
The personal space you experience as runner can be used for other than a lower heart rate and a stronger heart. It also gives you a more realistic self-image, greater confidence, and increased energy. These constructive results will give you more resources, which depending on your individual personality; can contribute to a better life situation.
The mental benefits of running have both short-term and long-term effects and many runners say that running works as therapy. The benefit in the short term experiences as wellness and relaxation just after the run.
The long–term effect occurs after a longer period of training when you begin to get in shape. Often you will experience that the good and bad contradiction, doesn’t make sense – you just ARE. The anxiety and stress levels decrease.
The increased self-confidence and the positive experiences of being able to master something that previously was considered too difficult to implement can then be transferred to other areas of life.
Psychological Benefits Of Exercise
Running also uses with success in psychiatric treatment. Studies have shown that mentally ill persons after just a few months of running improved their mood and that the effects are the same for people with everyday small depressions and mood swings.
We hear about people that stay in bed every day watching TV surfing on the internet without any purpose in life and often they are medicated too for depression or other things like that. In that way, there will also be a risk to be socially isolated.
But suddenly when they discover running in practice starting of course with small steps, they get new energy and get out of bed with a plan for the day. In particular, the social aspect helps in these situations if you have running buddies and a deal every week about meeting up for running.
The Impacts Of Social Media
What is possible today is of course also social media. Assume that you are one of the types who just want to stay in bed with a lack of motivation for doing anything. Then you check Facebook and read about other people in the same situation as you since it’s quite normal to seek like-minded.
But in this case, you came across people having it a lot worse than you. Often it will be the same stories focusing on things we don’t want in life how bad life is and so on. But in my opinion, you’ll always find at least one person particularly if you’re looking for such a person out of the many, who doesn’t give up despite depression or whatever bad story.
I read about such a person who started a running program several months and on an everyday basis, he described his experiences online about his daily training out there running and he also had a goal about running a Marathon race in the future – I mean coming from “a hole” and then report this goal out public on Facebook taking the chance to commit himself.
That was a very good success story and he finished his Marathon goal too. The new and more sophisticated view of running to improve mental health also takes into account the long-term structural changes in the brain as well as subjective states like mood and cognition. Science continues working to explain the physiological changes and states behind what we as runners already know from practice.
The Body’s Biochemistry Is The True Therapy
A way to explain the therapeutic benefits of running and the positive physiological adaptations that occur in the body is to look at the body’s biochemistry. Connections from the emotional to the physical are clear to everyone. When we are fearful our knees shake, we become dry in the mouth, we can feel a cold irrigate up the backbone, or we get goose flesh.
Fear, joy, anger and responses to threats and challenges are all emotions that have their cause in the neurochemical function. We also know how drugs such as cocaine, morphine, heroin, alcohol and anti-depressive medicine affect the Mind.
It shows that emotional reactions are based on a biochemical basis. In short, there are some invisible factors in our body, which we sense and feel.
The Results of Marathon Training
When you start up with regular Marathon Training, you also start up a very positive biochemical process, which over time becomes stronger. Running changes your physiology in the most positive way. You become more courageous in contact with other people. You become happier.
You get more energy and self-confidence. It becomes easier to handle difficult situations. You sleep better at night. In light of this, there is good reason to consider the time spent on running as an investment in becoming mentally healthier, more relaxed and more comfortable.
If you are interested in running as therapy like me, I hope you like this page and if you have any questions about the topic or want to leave your own Personal review, please leave a comment below.
Wow! interesting article on marathon training.
I really appreciate the time and effort you spent in coming up with such detailed information about the benefits of running I r got a great deal of knowledge from reading this post and I’m quite interested in running therapy, but i need to be sure if its safe for persons suffering from medical conditions such as stroke ?
Hi hillarydandy
Thank you for the comment. Happy that you could learn something from it.
It’s best to consult a doctor if it’s about strokes.
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Hi mondayjosep
Thank you for the comment and your compliments. Happy that you find it helpful.
Be well
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Hi Skuchmane
Thank you for the comments and your compliments. I really appreciate it.
Be Well
Hi there thanks for the review it was insightful I must commend. Well running can significantly improve physical and mental health. As a form of aerobic exercise, running can reduce stress, improve heart health, and even help alleviate symptoms of depression. I’ve run about 7,000 miles in the past few years and have considered it my therapy. Each time I’m faced emotional and mental issues I usually go for a run to cool off and that has helped a lot.
Hi Philebur
Thank you for the comment.
You have a good point.
Be Well