Running is not only a fantastic means of improving your physical health, but it is also a way to boost your mental health through stress relief, increased focus, and even decreased depression and anxiety. See how running can greatly improve your mental and emotional health!  

1. Lowers Stress

Running can reduce stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. The lowered hormones and boost of endorphins create a "runner's high" and subsequent feeling of relaxation as the body unwinds after working out.

2. Reduces Anxiety

As you run, your body releases hormones such as dopamine and serotonin which aid in lifting your mood. Aerobic exercise has been shown to help lessen tension, reducing anxiousness. As you exercise, it is easier to place your focus on the physical activity and off of the mental and emotional stresses of your day-to-day.

3. Decreases Depression

Running decreases depression in the same way that it reduces stress and anxiety through lowered stress hormones and increased mood-lifting hormones. These spikes of endorphins, in turn, boost your disposition.

4. Improves Sleep Quality

Stress and physical tension can keep you from having a restful night’s sleep. Running relieves stress through the release of cortisol hormones. As the body creates excess cortisol and then normalizes its levels, it also brings a feeling of relaxation that promotes faster, sounder sleep.

5. Boost Focus

Running and other forms of physical activity promote repetitive thinking through performing exercise patterns and counting your reps. In addition, running increases the blood flow to your brain and even creates new brain cells. These two benefits combined can help to boost your focus.

6. Controls Addiction

Running is shown to help lower relapse rates during addiction recovery. Running is a healthy, proactive activity that preoccupies the mind from fixating on addictions. In addition, running partners and groups can act as a support group to keep your motivation strong.

7. Increases Creativity

As you’ve read, running has a great effect on the emotions and has proved to be a way to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. With these lessened negativities in addition to increased focus, the mind is left with a clearer headspace to indulge in creativity and new ideas.   Don’t let pain from plantar fasciitis keep you from running! See how The Healing Sole can help relieve chronic foot pain and have you ready to run. Click here to read more about how it works.