The Impact of Running

I have been running my whole life. From 5ks I would do with my dad, to my own personal training for school sports, I have been through it all. I have noticed a drastic change in my physical capabilities and my mental health. I wanted to do some research on why I feel certains ways during a run and what my mind is really getting out of it. This is what I found. According to Redbull.com, running can help induce a meditative state. It can increase your mindfulness and help you focus on your breath, your footfall, and your surroundings. It’s almost amazing what just a 20 minute run can do for. By the end, you can enter a state of flow that helps you forget what is worrying you, or problems from yesterday. You’ll finish feeling unburdened by the problems of the day. If you’re out for a longer run, you may even feel a runner's high. You lose the feeling of fatigue and pain, and the endorphins and endocannabinoids start to kick in. You can’t push yourself too hard or not at all, you have to find the middle ground. Once you’re there, you’ll feel pure elation. Your stress will decrease and so will the ability to feel pain. At this point,  you’re unstoppable!

Besides the amazing mental rewards we receive from running, we are all technically born to run. If you look at our evolution, it is clear that our body wants us to run. Running can boost your ability to direct your attention to what you want to do, it can shut out distractions, and help you solve problems. 

The physical aspect of running is also amazing. I’m going to take you through a couple phases of a run. Phase one, when you first step out of your house and start moving your legs, your muscles rely on ATP to get you moving. As you continue to move, more ATP is being used from glycogen storage units. Glycogen is the source of energy for your body. These molecules are derived from the food you eat and are then stored in glycogen within your muscles and blood. 

Phase two, your muscles will start to release lactic acid. This will then signal to your brain that you are working and taking part in physical activity. For your muscles to continue to break down glucose, you must use oxygen. Your body will begin to bring oxygen to the areas that need it and push away blood from non-essential functions at the time. This is what causes you to breathe heavier. Your calorie use will be increasing and your body temperature will rise. Your blood vessels will begin to dilate, bringing blood closer to the skin. This is what causes you to turn red. You will also start to produce sweat at some point, an indicator that your body needs to cool off and to prevent heat stroke.   

Phase three, once you’ve surpassed the beginning phases of your run, your body will be able to settle into a more sustainable cycle of breathing, sweating, and breaking down glucose into ATP. If you are out on a run after a couple months of not running, this phase may be a bit more difficult to withstand. Glucose won’t be able to be broken down fast enough, which results in a lag of ATP. You will feel an ache in your muscles from the lactic acid build up. 

Phase four, once you have completed your run, you will have an urge to relax and sit down, but that isn’t the best solution for your muscles. Since your body takes away blood from other areas of your body, it is important that you get that blood back to the brain and the core of the body so nutrients can be picked up, replaced, and begin their repair work. The best thing to do is continue walking or at least standing. This cool-down will relax your muscles from all the hard work you just did and lower your heart rate. This will help eliminate lactic acid. 

Your run is over! You should feel a sense of accomplishment and the endorphins triggered by your run should place you in a good mood for the rest of the day. I have found running to be an all around great form of exercise. It combines training endurance, building muscle, maintaining a healthy body fat composition, promoting cardiovascular health, and improving your mood. Running is a good start to help you find a balance between mental health and your physical health.

#Running #GetMoving!