YOU KNOW THAT RUNNING IS GOOD FOR YOUR MENTAL WELLBEING, BUT NOT SURE HOW OR WHY EXACTLY? DR JULIET MCGRATTAN SORTS FACT FROM FICTION

MENTAL HEALTH

Many runners, myself included, start running to get fit and help control their weight. If you ask those runners years later why they run, I guarantee the majority will say it”s because it boosts their mental health. Once you discover how effective running can be for clearing the mind – and how it can help you think clearly, calm down and stay well balanced – it”s hard to imagine how you ever got through life without it!

My experience of this is one of the reasons I”m so evangelical about exercise for mental wellbeing with the patients I see in my GP surgery. However, most importantly, there is a solid evidence base to prove it. According to Start Active, Stay Active, a report on physical activity for health from the four home countries” chief medical officers, exercising regularly throughout your life will give you a 20 to 30 per cent lower risk of depression. Exercise has been proven to be an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression and to have a role in the treatment of anxiety disorders, too. In fact, it helps across the whole spectrum of mental health. So whether we just feel a bit tense or have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder, exercise is medicine – for now and for our future.