In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I thought writing about how running can help support 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?

 

This article aims to summarize how running can benefit mental health based on a paper that did an extensive review of the literature on this topic. The paper by Oswald et al. (2020) is titled A Scoping Review of the Relationship between Running and Mental Health, and it was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

 

The Details of the Review

Here are the details of the study by Oswald et al. (2020) that will be used as a reference in this blog post to highlight the mental health benefits of running:

 

• The study examined various research articles that investigated the relationship between running and mental health (116 papers were used for this study)

• Populations: from adolescents to older adults, both male and female

• Type of runners: from recreational to marathon runners

• Area: any geographic location

• Dates: studies from 1970 to 2019

Mental Health Benefits of Running

The review found that running is associated with several mental health benefits.

 

When runners were compared with people who were sedentary (not doing any physical activity), here is what the effects of running were on mental health:

 

• Fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety

• Improved mood

• Lower stress levels

• Higher psychological well-being

 

It’s important to note that moderation is key for maximized health benefits. Runners who displayed obsessive behaviors in their running training were more likely to show traits of anorexia nervosa and presented more risk factors for eating disorders.

 

Some signs of being an obsessive runner were:

• Sacrificing commitments and relationships for running.

• Suffering withdrawal symptoms if a run was missed.

As the saying goes, too much of a good thing is never good. This isn’t meant to scare anyone, but just to remain mindful that a well-balanced life always brings better benefits.

 

What Type of Running Provides More Mental Health Benefits?

This review suggests that both recreational and competitive running provide mental health benefits. However, it does highlight that regular, moderate-intensity running tends to offer significant positive effects.

 

This ties into the “everything in moderation” philosophy discussed above. Focusing on consistency and enjoyment of running, rather than the intensity or competitive nature, seems to be an essential factor in maximizing mental health benefits.

 

In other good news, it was shown that whether running was done outdoors, on a treadmill, on a track, or in a group, it all improved mental health outcomes. I know a lot of runners who don’t consider it a “real run” if they run on a treadmill. Every run counts, just be proud of yourself, no matter what environment it was done in!

 

Related article:  7 Essential Treadmill Tips from a Physiotherapist

 

City runners will also be happy to learn that there was no difference in mental health benefits when park runs were compared to urban runs.

 

How Long Do We Need to Run to Get The Mental Health Benefits?

Spoiler alert: you don’t need to run a marathon to get the mental health benefits of running!

 

The review showed that runs ranging from 2.5 to 20 kilometers and between 10 to 60 minutes all improved mental health.

 

However, to get long-term sustainable benefits on mental health, a regular and consistent running practice is recommended. As early as 2 weeks of consistent running can already have a significant impact on mental health. For new runners, this is encouraging, because it means you won’t have to train for months on end before you start seeing results on your mental health.

 

Running as an Additional Tool for Mental Health

It has to be highlighted that running won’t replace therapy altogether, but it can certainly be a good tool to help improve mental health.

 

Running has many advantages such as being relatively inexpensive, it can be done in a variety of environments, and it can be adapted to different fitness levels.

 

If you are currently in therapy and would like to start running, this may be something worth discussing with your therapist. Opening the conversation about using running as another tool to improve mental outcomes might be a game changer.

 

I started running more consistently to manage stress at University, and I never looked back. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t always easy to get out the door, but I always felt better after and had a clearer mind.

 

More high-quality research is still needed on the association between running and mental health. There remains a knowledge gap when it comes to adults over 50 years of age. More and more adults are staying in shape and living longer so we need to do better at staying informed for this age group. There is also limited evidence for kids under 18 years of age. With the increasing distress in the younger population, it would also be helpful to have more information on how running could benefit their mental health.

 

Finally, a lot of the studies on the link between mental health and running are done on relatively healthy subjects. We need more studies on populations that have more serious clinically diagnosed issues.

 

Final Words on Running and Mental Health

Even though research still has ways to go on this topic, there is enough evidence to show that running has a net positive benefit on mental health.

 

The best way you can find out is to try it on yourself. If you’re in a bad mood or feeling down, try to go for a run even if you only have 20 minutes. Note how you were feeling before in a journal or write it on your phone. Then, write how you’re feeling after. The odds are you will feel a bit better!

 

And, if you want long-term benefits, try to make it a habit. Remember, you can see long-term benefits with as little as 2 weeks of consistent running. You got this!

 

Happy Running,

 

April 😊

Reference: 

Oswald, F., Campbell, J., Williamson, C., Richards, J., & Kelly, P. (2020). A Scoping Review of the Relationship between Running and Mental Health. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(21), 8059. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218059