13/03/2026
Put yourself in a good mood for the week-end!
Here’s something you need to hear today…… Running specifically, and in a broader sense, exercise in any form, has the potential of a huge positive impact on our mental/emotional health.
A survey of recreational long distance runners done a few years ago indicated the following self-reported effects:
- Almost all of the runners noted relief of tension, improved self-image and an improvement in mood.
- About half the runners described episodes of enhanced visual imagery and creativity.
- About two-thirds of the runners indicated they experience “runner’s high” during almost half of their runs. **A possible reason for “runner’s high” is an increase in endorphins.
One thing to note though is that mental fatigue (no matter the cause) can increase your perception of effort during a run. So when your mind is heavy, you may not feel as chipper on your run. Make sure and give yourself permission to slow it down a bit, especially when you need the therapeutic effects more than the physiological effects.
So get out there and run, when there’s gap between the showers!
Works Cited: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0033318283732391
Marcora SM, Staiano W, Manning V. “Mental Fatigue Can Affect Physical Endurance.” Journal of Applied Physiology. March, 2009