In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I thought writing about how running can help in supporting mental health was fitting.

The physical benefits of running have been proven in many studies, but the mental health aspect still lacks high-quality research.

As runners, we know how much better a run can make us feel if we have a bad day or how it can help us work through some difficult times in our lives. But what does the research say?

How many times have you heard the saying “Mind over matter”? It refers to the fact that we can control our physical body with one powerful tool: the mind.

This applies to running as well. I always surprise myself with how far I can go when I actually change my mindset. The more I resist and keep telling myself that “I’m in hell” (not being dramatic at all), the harder the run gets.

However, in my 10+ years of experience as an endurance runner, I have picked up some mental tips and tricks along the way that have helped me go the distance. I will share these tips with you today in this blog post so you can use them on your next run when you feel like you’re struggling.