The Mental Health Benefits of Running

Running can do a lot of incredible things for your body physically, but were you aware of how much it can do for you mentally? Finding the time to run can have a massive positive impact on your life. Whether you’re someone who typically focuses on weightlifting or someone who wants to get back in shape, here are the mental health benefits of running to inspire you.

Improves Memory

As we get older, it can get harder to remember important details. One of the mental health benefits of running is that it can improve your memory. This occurs because the prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex part of the brain work harder when you perform an exercise such as running. If you need to learn or memorize information, studies show that running afterward can improve how long you retain that information.

Boost Creativity

A cardio workout can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, or longer. That’s a lot of time on a treadmill when you have nothing else to do except run. This gives you time to think, and it can actually boost your creativity. If you need some time for yourself to come up with some ideas, running is one of the best things you can do.

Reduce Stresses

Another great time to get on a treadmill is when you feel stressed out. Stress happens to the best of us, but you can deal with it in healthy ways. Similar to how running can boost your creativity, it can also help clear your mind when you face stressful situations.

Prevent Depression

An additional obstacle people face frequently is depression. While running itself can feel extremely difficult in the moment, it can actually uplift your mood once it’s over. This sensation we feel after we run is called a runner’s high, and it occurs because it releases feel-good endorphins, such as serotonin.

Kick off your new running habit with quality—take advantage of fitness equipment providers such as Utah Home Fitness. We have a wide selection of treadmills from Precor, True, Spirt, and Assault available.