February 8, 2011

  • Running away from Depression and Anxiety

    When I run - I normally feel this high on my second mile of my run.  A unstoppable smile comes to my face and I'm just so enjoying being outside, hitting the pavement, and being alive.  I want to throw up my hands as I run as I feel the wind in my face.   When I have alot of stress in my life - I go to God and seek a calm mind and heart - knowing that He is sovereign and cares for His children.  However some stress remains, but is often melted away when I go running.  One place I love to run in near the water - when the sun is out and the air is cool.   Don't get much better then that.  After my fourth mile - my mind gets less active and almost goes into a meditation of calm, which continues to the end of the run.  When I am done running, I am tired - but I am also very relaxed and ready for what ever life throws at me. 

    This morning, I was talking to my wife about the benefits of running and thought that I would share a few blogs on the subject.  This blog is about how beneficial running is for depression and anxiety.   Many people suffer depression, stress and anxiety today and running can help relieve these problem. 

    One of the ways is what they call the 'Runners High', which can be experienced during a run and can last for hours afterwards.  When you are running the body sees your physical exertion as a type of pain, and responds with the release of Endorphins.  The word Endorphins can be broken down into it's parts "endo" and "morphine".  From the Greek: word endo "ενδο" meaning "within" and then "morphone".  These are natural pain killers, created by the pituitary gland.  These chemicals when released in the brain sends the runner into a relaxed state of mind.  Some people which run - may not at first experience this high.  The trick is to set the right pace in your running to experience this release. 

    Other benifits with depression and anxiety are: 

    1) Running get you away from the house or work related stresses and allows you to be alone (with God).  Everyone feels as if they are defined by their work.   They are Mom or Dad or Student or an Employee.   They need to get away from that from time to time and just be themselves.   Sadly people use drinking or drugs to get away - but running is a wonderful and beneficial ways of having some alone time.

    2) Getting outside especially in the winter when the days are short, reduces the effects of Seasonal affective disorder, which is called SAD.   I think everyone to a degree suffers from SAD - and people try to buy special lights and stuff to reduced the symptoms, but running or even walking when the sun is shining is the best medicine for SAD. 

    3) Losing weight and feeling fit, makes you feel more relaxed.  Not that you can lose weight from running alone - you still need to watch your calories.  If you watch your calories and run - you will see weight lose, and who doesn't feel better when their fit?

    4) Running gets you outside so you can get your needed vitamin D.  Many people especially during the winter have vitamin D deficiency.  Sunlight is one of the most abundant sources of vitamin D which our bodies make the nutrient by absorbing UVB rays. 

    5) Running reverses the directions of you thoughts - depression is inward thinking - running pushes your thoughts outward.  A hundred years ago when most of the world were farmers and fishermen - people had to leave their houses to work.   Fresh air and work was good for people, but today people can go weeks without really being outside.  The wrong kind of internal thinking can be damaging to ones mental health.  Depression is often a downward spiral which feeds on it self until all is black and one feels alone.  Often such thinking makes hermits of people, where they don't want to leave the house.  You need to fight this feeling and put on those walking/running shoes and get outside.  

    My purpose of writing this is to encourage people which suffer from depression, stress and anxiety to consider giving running a serious try.  It may make a difference in your life.

    Note: The last several days, black-ice has been a problem and I wasn't able to keep up with my schedule.  I hope to do better this week.

    45 DAYS, 12 HOURS, 40 MIN, 7 SEC, To the Marathon

    He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. (Psalm 107:29)

     

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