Running can be a real catalyst for mental well-being.
- Running is an aerobic exercise that is excellent for fitness and also works on the brain.
- By releasing the happy hormones serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin, it plays a crucial role in regulating our mood, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- By modulating stress and promoting a state of physical fatigue, running also helps fight insomnia by promoting faster falling asleep.
If running is increasingly practiced, it is both for its benefits on physical health and its accessibility. But its impact on mental health also deserves special attention.
Its impact on emotional well-being
Accessible to a large number of people, and able to be practiced in various forms, in the city, in the mountains, at the sea or on a treadmill, running is an aerobic exercise which also acts on the brain. By releasing the happy hormones serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin, it plays a crucial role in regulating our mood, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The feeling of happiness and pleasure, felt by a large number of runners, induces a lasting state of relaxation, even outside of physical effort.
The impact on sleep quality
Running regularly also significantly improves the quality of sleep. Aerobic exercise in general, and especially running, promotes cardio-respiratory and metabolic health, which results in better sleep cycles and therefore more restful sleep.
Indeed, by modulating stress and promoting a state of physical fatigue, running helps fight against insomnia by promoting faster falling asleep. Thanks to this better sleep, brain functioning is optimal, which allows for better memory consolidation and better attention during the day.
The impact on brain neuroplasticity
One of the most fascinating impacts of running on the brain is its ability to make it more “plastic.” What we call neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change and adapt, is crucial for learning and memory.
By stimulating the creation of new neurons and strengthening the connections between them, running increases the brain’s ability to learn and memorize, which protects it against premature aging.
Regular running transforms the brain, not only by strengthening it to face the challenges of aging, but also by improving its resistance and its ability to transform in the face of new experiences and learning throughout life.
Learn more: “Healing with Neuroplasticity” by Norman Doidge.
