Process your emotions while running

Sometimes life gets a bit heavy. Regular runs can help you sort through difficult feelings, unburden you from the daily grind, and spark new ideas.

Running for good mental health

Getting into a good running routine is an excellent way to improve your physical health.

Many experts agree that running can be good for your brain, too.

In 2018, “The Lancet Psychiatry” published a study of 1.2 million Americans that found people who exercise regularly have 43.2% less days of “not good” mental health per month compared to those who don’t exercise regularly. These “not good” days were characterized by heightened emotional distress.

The same study showed that the gap in good mental health for people who exercised regularly and those who didn’t was much larger than other factors like education, body mass index, and socio-economic status.

The takeaway? If you run regularly, you probably experience more better mental health days than not.

Runfulness in action

Lisa Hallet is a real-life example of the power of Runfulness. She cofounded Wear Blue: Run to Remember, a running community that honours the sacrifice and service of the American military.

The organization hosts its Saturday Runs — weekly, no-cost community runs — across the U.S. Wear Blue also offers a number of programs that support Gold Star families and active-duty service people through races, training, and mentoring.

The sport for Lisa Hallett took on new meaning in 2009 after her husband John was killed in Southern Afghanistan. The young mother of three was already an avid runner, but she turned to the sport to help cope with the devastating loss.