When you look beyond the usual runner’s high talk, running has some surprising mental benefits. We're talking about things like stress reduction, mood elevation, even brain growth.
Apparently, running can actually make your brain bigger. We've all experienced that feeling after a good run. You know, that feeling of stress just melting away, like you just feel lighter, more capable of tackling whatever's next. One of our sources described it as feeling better equipped to face challenges, which I definitely resonate with. And you're not alone. There's actually some serious science backing that up. You see, for a while we thought endorphins were like the main event, you know, the whole runner's high explanation.
As it turns out, it's a bit more complicated than that. Endorphins don't actually impact the brain directly in the way we used to think, because of something called, are you ready for this? The blood brain barrier.
What exactly is this barrier and why is it blocking my endorphins? Well, you can think of the blood brain barrier like a super selective bouncer who's guarding your brain. And this barrier is vital for your brain. It only lets certain molecules through which basically means it acts as a protective shield against any potentially harmful substances. Endorphins, while great for other parts of the body, are just a bit too bulky to get past this bouncer. Wow, so even my brain has a security system.
If it's not endorphins working their magic directly, what's actually happening in our brains when we run to cause that stress reduction, this is where things get really interesting. Have you ever heard of endocannabinoids?
These endocannabinoids are neurotransmitters, and the really cool thing is that they're produced naturally by your body, and they're the real MVPs of run induced calm. So they're like natural chill pills, yeah, exactly. They flood your system during exercise, and thankfully, unlike endorphins, they have no problem getting past that brain bouncer. We talked about endocannabinoids, okay, so remind me again what they do. It's all about Association.
They have a similar effect to, shall we say, compounds found in cannabis. But now, before you imagine runners getting a contact high, remember these endocannabinoids are produced by your own body, and they're all about promoting a sense of calm and easing anxiety. It's kind of like your brain has a built in chill pill, and running is like the activation button. It's about our brains generating these calming chemicals along the way. That is seriously cool. But here's the thing that stress we outran. It's usually waiting for us back in reality, right? So what happens after the run is over? What happens when those endocannabinoids wear off?
Well, that's where it gets even more fascinating. Our sources, especially some compelling research from the University of Maryland, suggest that regular running doesn't just provide in the moment stress relief it can actually rewire our brains to handle stress better in the long term.
With every single run you go on, you're giving your brain a workout in Resilience Training basically, and over time, your brain actually becomes more equipped to handle those stressful situations that life throws our way.
It makes me wonder, though, is it really just about like feeling less stressed, or could this stress resilience actually translate into feeling happier overall, a study from Health Psychology found that people who are physically active, like runners, showed a greater sense of emotional stability even when they were dealing with stressful events. Basically, they were just better equipped to roll with the punches.
It's not just about outrunning stress while you're running. It's about actually changing your brain so you can handle anything life throws at you, right? I love that.
What about mood? Does all of this translate into just like feeling happier overall? Well,that's the really exciting part, because the research suggests that it does. Our source material actually highlighted a really strong connection between running and a decrease in those you know, annoying depression symptoms. It's like running gives your brain a mood boost.
There's a fascinating 2020 study from the Revista Argentina, the Clinica psychological that really stood out. They studied how long distance running affects college students who are dealing with depression, and the results were actually pretty remarkable. Basically during the times that these students were running regularly, they said they felt so much better in so many ways. We're talking increased social confidence, better sleep, they could focus more, and they even felt a greater sense of accomplishment.
When I think about my own running journey and the goals I set for myself, whether it's finally finishing a 5k or beating my best time, it does wonders for my mood when I hit those goals. It's incredibly empowering.
It's those little victories, those moments have this ripple effect on other parts of your life too.
Remember how we were talking about actual brain growth earlier? I have to admit my scepticism, When I’m being told that just by like going for a run, we can actually make our brains grow new brain cells. It might sound too good to be true, but it's not - research, including some really interesting findings from the American physiological society has actually shown that running can stimulate something called neurogenesis, which is just the scientific term for, you guessed it, the creation of new brain cells.
Neurogenesis. My brain is actually getting bigger when I run.
And it gets even cooler. This growth isn't just randomly happening all over the brain. It's especially happening in the hippocampus, which is the area of the brain that's responsible for things like learning and memory. That's incredible. I mean, we're already talking about less stress, better mood, and now increased brain power.
So running isn't just about feeling good right now. It's about protecting our brains in the future.
It really is pretty amazing. And, you know, we're all trying to find those little things we can do every day to like, you know, invest in our health and well being. And this research basically says that something as basic as going for a run could actually make a huge difference in both our physical and mental health, not just today, but for years to come.
Sometimes all it really takes is remembering why you're doing something to make those healthy choices a little easier.
