You’ve probably heard about “the runner’s high.” The definitions are never all that precise, but it’s supposed to be some sort of transcendent state that you enter into after running for half an hour or so. Many beginning runners have been told about the runner’s high and figure that they must be doing things wrong, because they’ve certainly never felt like Timothy Leary on a run.
I’m here to tell you that the runner’s high is an overblown concept. There’s no such thing as a quantifiable, yes-or-no transcendent state that X amount of running induces, any more than listening to 3.4 of your favorite songs causes a definitive change in your mental condition. So don’t belittle or doubt yourself because you’re not achieving the runner’s high—in one sense, there’s no such thing to achieve. But like music, running does have a dramatic effect on your mood.
Let me be the first to tell you that if you don’t finish most of your runs feeling calmer, more content, relaxed, and less tense and angst-ridden, then you’re doing something wrong. If you want to call that a runner’s high, I’m not going to argue. Short-term stress relief is one of the main things that gets busy runners out the door. Studies have found that people score much lower on tests of anxiety immediately after finishing a run, compared to how they scored before their run. As one knowledgeable running doctor has noted, even as little as 15 minutes of moderate walking reduces muscular tension more than a standard dose of a tranquilizer.
Over the long haul, those psychological benefits accrue. Indeed, aerobic exercise, such as running, is a common prescription for mild depression. Less dramatically, but just as important, runners consistently rate higher than average on these important personality characteristics:
➤ Emotional stability
➤ Optimism
➤ Self-sufficiency
➤ Self-esteem
Compared to sedentary people, runners have also been found to have an increased ability to concentrate and above average organizational and problem solving skills. They also report feeling content and mentally vigorous more often than do nonexercisers. In other words, running clears your brain along with your arteries. Why does running put you in a better mood? The answer is endorphins. These chemicals, which act like morphine, are released by your brain when you’re under stress.
Studies have found that the level of endorphins circulating in your system can be more than twice as high after a run compared to when you’re at rest. In the long term, there’s less of a chemical explanation for why running is so good for you psychologically. Nonetheless, the reasons seem pretty clear to me. For starters, as you become more fit, you’re going to have a better self-image. You’ll feel better about how you look and about your health. By being less absorbed with self-loathing, you can turn your attention toward having a brighter outlook toward the world.
In addition, setting and achieving goals on a regular basis is tremendously satisfying. After almost every run, you’ll have a feeling of accomplishment—you overcame inertia, got out the door, and did something good for yourself. Being able to remind yourself that you wanted to work out four times last week and did so can bring a boost when events seem to be directing you, rather than you directing them.
I’m here to tell you that the runner’s high is an overblown concept. There’s no such thing as a quantifiable, yes-or-no transcendent state that X amount of running induces, any more than listening to 3.4 of your favorite songs causes a definitive change in your mental condition. So don’t belittle or doubt yourself because you’re not achieving the runner’s high—in one sense, there’s no such thing to achieve. But like music, running does have a dramatic effect on your mood.
Let me be the first to tell you that if you don’t finish most of your runs feeling calmer, more content, relaxed, and less tense and angst-ridden, then you’re doing something wrong. If you want to call that a runner’s high, I’m not going to argue. Short-term stress relief is one of the main things that gets busy runners out the door. Studies have found that people score much lower on tests of anxiety immediately after finishing a run, compared to how they scored before their run. As one knowledgeable running doctor has noted, even as little as 15 minutes of moderate walking reduces muscular tension more than a standard dose of a tranquilizer.
Over the long haul, those psychological benefits accrue. Indeed, aerobic exercise, such as running, is a common prescription for mild depression. Less dramatically, but just as important, runners consistently rate higher than average on these important personality characteristics:
➤ Emotional stability
➤ Optimism
➤ Self-sufficiency
➤ Self-esteem
Compared to sedentary people, runners have also been found to have an increased ability to concentrate and above average organizational and problem solving skills. They also report feeling content and mentally vigorous more often than do nonexercisers. In other words, running clears your brain along with your arteries. Why does running put you in a better mood? The answer is endorphins. These chemicals, which act like morphine, are released by your brain when you’re under stress.
Studies have found that the level of endorphins circulating in your system can be more than twice as high after a run compared to when you’re at rest. In the long term, there’s less of a chemical explanation for why running is so good for you psychologically. Nonetheless, the reasons seem pretty clear to me. For starters, as you become more fit, you’re going to have a better self-image. You’ll feel better about how you look and about your health. By being less absorbed with self-loathing, you can turn your attention toward having a brighter outlook toward the world.
In addition, setting and achieving goals on a regular basis is tremendously satisfying. After almost every run, you’ll have a feeling of accomplishment—you overcame inertia, got out the door, and did something good for yourself. Being able to remind yourself that you wanted to work out four times last week and did so can bring a boost when events seem to be directing you, rather than you directing them.
No comments:
Post a Comment