Running for mental health
Posted by: Zayna31984807
30th Jul 2024 11:40am
My partner has been running for quite some time now and always wanted me to get involved. I would try but found I couldn’t be consistent with the practise. I recently did my first park run and successfully ran the whole 5kms for the first time in my life and felt great afterwards. I’ve been less stressed and can’t wait to do the next one this coming week. It’s something I would like to share with my good friend who is impacted by mental health disorders but I don’t want to pressure them into it, rather just share the experience and get them to try it. What’s others thoughts on running or exercise as a social events or catalyst for positive mental health?
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Comments 4
Leilani3238
There is quite a lot of significant research to validate your beliefs with the positive causes and effects of physical activities. Which subsequently is almost always a support to encourage that physical activity, unless medical advice is sought and swayed against. Unfortunately mental health is not black and white, and this needs to be treated as such. Meaning, what might work for someone, doesn’t necessarily mean that would work for someone else. Maybe coming from an angle of having the experience of experiencing that physical activity, rather than having an expectation that can naturally come because of your own beliefs, we as someone can perhaps just share, invite, encourage towards a means of helping others. Best of luck :)
baccus
Running is a fantastic way to boost mental health, and it’s wonderful to hear about your first successful park run—congratulations! Exercise like running releases endorphins, reduces stress, and helps clear the mind, making it a powerful tool for improving overall wellbeing. In Australia, initiatives like parkrun not only encourage physical activity but also foster a sense of community, which can be incredibly uplifting for mental health.
Sharing your positive experience with your friend sounds like a thoughtful approach. Perhaps you could invite them to walk or jog at their own pace, emphasising the social and relaxed aspects rather than performance. Tennis is another excellent option, offering physical benefits alongside social interaction and mental focus. The key is to create an inviting, pressure-free environment where they feel encouraged to participate when ready. Small steps like these can make a significant difference in fostering both physical and mental wellbeing. Have you considered combining running or tennis with other supportive activities for your friend, like mindfulness or casual social outings?
Butterfly Blue
I absolutely believe that exercise has considerable benefits for mental health. I started going to the gym & doing group fitness about 13/14 years ago for my physical fitness & found that the benefits I gained from the social aspect as well as the endorphins had a huge impact on my mental health which wasn’t great at the time either. I would hugely advocate for someone to engage in a form of exercise that they enjoy because it has incredible benefits for wellbeing!
S3263
I am a huge parkrun fan, I'm so glad to see this discussion here! Parkrun is amazing for mental and physical health, I recently ran my 150th event and volunteered for the 100th time. I would encourage anyone to become involved in parkrun as it's free, there's no requirement to sign up for a certain time period and every health and fitness level is celebrated and encouraged at events. If you wanted to encourage your friend to attend, maybe you could invite them to 'walk and talk' at a parkrun and help remove the stigma of it being a running event with them?