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Running is an antidepressant.
Mental health advocates have been quietly recommending exercise to combat depression and anxiety for years. Now, thanks to a recent study, we have data showing just how effective running can be at treating depression— while also improving overall health. According to this study (and others before it), aerobic exercise is on par with commonly prescribed antidepressant medications, but has few negative side effects and considerable added benefits.
Often, people see exercise, sleep, or nutrition changes as less effective than pharmacologiocal treatment. Something so commonplace can’t possibly actually work, right? Give me the good stuff, doc. Don’t hold out on me.
But the numbers don’t bear that out. Changing behavior does change health outcomes, significantly. The data are clear.
So why hasn’t exercise been embraced as a first-line treatment for these common mental health problems?
Embracing Athletic Identity
Last night, I went to watch a track meet. An amazing group of humans turned up to run fast laps around the oval: there were high school athletes, college athletes, local amateur athletes, Special Olympics athletes, and even professional athletes. All ages, all levels– and all of them working at their limits.
The energy was electric– runners warming up everywhere. Coaches shouting out advice and splits to racers. Game faces on.
I watched from the grandstand (ok, and also from the beer garden) and marveled at the whole event. Despite being a dedicated runner, I had never, in my 40 years on the planet, been to a track meet before.
Why, I wondered, had I missed out on the fun for so long?
Stuck? Learn a New Skill.
Raise your hand if this is you: You feel stale. You’re not excited about your next race (or you don’t even want to sign up for one). You’re dreading runs that should feel fun. You’re not getting any faster. You always kind of hurt, a little bit.
Ooof. Is it burnout? Just tired? Bored? Whatever it is, it’s not fun– but it’s also not terminal. Unless you make your living by winning races, you can just. . . do something else for a while. Seriously: what purpose does running have in your life? I bet it’s not the only way to get there.
Here’s a thought: Try being a beginner at something else.
The Myth of the “Out of Nowhere” Injury
Ever get a random pain or niggle or injury that seems to come out of nowhere?
I’ve got news for you: unless you stepped off a curb or something, it didn’t come out of nowhere. It was probably brewing for days, weeks, months. But you didn’t pay attention to it until it got in the way of your running. Oops.
Healthy Snacks for Runners (and Other Active People)
Snacking gets a bad rap sometimes. We associate it with sitting on the couch being lazy, or with being weak and giving in to cravings. But it’s not like that!
Snacking is a power habit– when you do it with intention.
Hear me out. Humans need nourishment. Active humans need more nourishment than sedentary ones. If you’re active, you need not only energy (calories), but also micronutrients to repair your tissues and sustain the increased metabolism of your body.
You get these through food, and that needn’t be limited to three meals a day. For lots of active folks, it’s actually hard to get what you need that way. Why limit yourself?
Why Am I Quitting. . . And How Can I Stop?
So you set yourself a goal, and you didn’t stick with it.
That schedule of going to the gym tapered off. Your six A.M. runs lasted a week or two and then stopped. Your meal prep moved over to make room for takeout.
Instead of labeling yourself a quitter (why so judgy?), what would happen if you went back to that goal with curious eyes and investigated what happened? If you let it be the first step in a process, rather than a definitive ending?
What Does It Mean to “Listen To Your Body”?
Coaches (myself included) say “listen to your body” a lot. Feeling tired? Debating whether your weird sore spot is OK or not? Trying to figure out the right intensity level? Listen to your body! Cool. . .but what if you don’t know how?
Listening to your body is, basically, paying attention to how the things you do make you feel. Sounds easy– it’s not. But it is important.
Break Your Bad Running Habits
Establish good habits around your running, and you’ll stay healthy, make progress, and feel great. Sounds good, right?
. . . but nobody’s perfect.
We’ve all got a few bad habits that probably aren’t serving us (yes, even your friendly neighborhood coach). You can pile on healthy habits, but if you don’t let go of the bad ones, you’re making it harder on yourself. Figuring out what’s holding you back is the first step to getting better!
In my coaching practice (and, ahem, my own running), I’ve run across a lot of bad habits. Here are some of the most common bad running habits– and what to do about them.
Act Like An Athlete All Day Long
You're sticking to your training plan. You're hitting your workouts hard. You're checking the boxes. So why do you keep getting little niggles? Why are you sick again? Why did you miss that PR by a hair, again?
Training matters. But you spend more time not running than you spend running. And that can work to your advantage, if you’re smart– adaptation doesn't happen while you're actually training, it happens in between.
Athletes don’t stop being athletes when they step off the track, or the trail, or the court, or the field. They make decisions to support their performance all day long. You can, too.
Healthy Running Habits: Feel Awesome, Run Forever
Running is good for you, right? Healthy people run. Just look at those tanned, lean people loping along, gazelle-like, without a care in the world. So running will make me healthy, just like them. Right?
Maybe, if you approach it the right way! But let’s clear up some misconceptions. . .