Jog On: How Running Saved My Life

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It was a lightbulb moment. "I decided right then to unmedicate myself," he says. "I decided I would run instead." He set modest goals for himself: 2 miles. Then 4. Then 6. "After six months of running, I'd stopped wheezing after runs," he recalls. "I had quit using my nebulizer, weaned myself off prednisone and reduced the oral inhaler treatments." Bella’s brilliant love letter to running turns into an extraordinarily brave and frank account of her battle with anxiety. A compassionate and important book’ Joe Lycett After 5 hours of surgery, the anesthetist peered down at Elves, then asked the medical team around the table: "How come she's still with us? How come this woman's still alive?" A US study of 1.2 million people published in The Lancetin in 2018 found those who exercised reported better mental health. And, closer to home, in a study conducted by Elizabeth Goyder, professor of public health at the University of Sheffield, 69% of 60,000 UK parkrunners surveyed said their mental health had been improved by their regular Saturday morning 5K. Today, Johnson, 44, an account director for a life insurance company in Chattanooga, Tenn., runs 45 to 55 miles a week. He's completed four marathons. And, he says, "I am virtually asthma-free.

I found this book so helpful! As someone who suffers from anxiety and is a (very) amateur runner, this book helped me better understand how running can help quiet my brain chatter. I found the honesty about mental health really refreshing and learned a lot about other forms of anxiety. It also inspired me to get out and run on days when I really didn’t want to! Not too many people can say that running literally saved their lives," says Elves. "But everyone I talked to told me that if I'd had a normal heart, I would have died." The big question is, who is this book for? I personally feel that if you're an anxious person (or suffer from any other mental health issues), then you'll find this insightful. It explains really well how that particular form of exercise can help you to detach from your problems (for a while); how it almost becomes a form of mindfulness and a welcome break from all the things that are dragging you down. As Haruki Murakami, author of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, says: “Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest.” Discovering that running makes me happy – wanting to enjoy every moment of being alive – has finally given me something to live for.

Numerous studies have shown how exercise – and running, in particular – can be beneficial to mental health. A link between physical activity and mental wellbeing has not been irrefutably proven, but there is growing evidence from around the world of its benefits. For example, a review re-evaluating earlier studies, which was published in Australia’s Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, concluded that aerobic exercise three times a week at a moderate intensity over nine weeks can help to treat depression. The side notes of other peoples' stories, and stats and general development of science of mind and body needing to be in sync was really good but yes, I didn't really enjoy it. I also feel that there were bits glossed out on - about food, about her strength training, all alluded to in a few sentences and then moved on. Bella’s brilliant love letter to running turns into an extraordinarily brave and frank account of her battle with anxiety. This is a compassionate and important book which presents running as a simple but effective antidote to an anxious world’ Joe Lycett

Truth - I actually nearly stopped reading this with a 2 chapters left because for some reason it didn't really resonate with me. So how do we persuade people that physical activity can really help the mind, without sounding preachy, simplistic or smug?An insightful take on what it's like to experience, and confront one's mental health while joyfully celebrating the fact that just being an everyday runner can be enough to change your life. Warm, accessible and perfect for resetting a glum January mindset’ Alexandra Heminsley, author of Running Like a Girl But while such openness is breaking down the stigma surrounding mental illness, the statistics show that more people are suffering than ever. The charity Mind says one in six adults in the UK experiences mental health issues each week, so it’s likely someone in your circle of family and friends is struggling right now. Perhaps you are. Today, Mooney, 28, who works as a youth advocate in a Big Sister Program in Newburgh, N.Y., still faces her affliction. But she has a new ally. "Running has given me courage to fight, and to trust in myself," she says. "It's a way of giving my mind a break. I can relax and not think manic thoughts. All in all, running keeps me on an even keel." And it's better than drugs. "I don't need a prescription," she says. "I don't get dry mouth, gain weight or suffer from diarrhea--the side effects of the drugs I was taking. Instead I get increased self-confidence and self-esteem.