I started running competitively in seventh grade. Ever since, I have felt happy with my life.
Running comes naturally for most of us. You don’t need any special equipment or hard training. The simplicity of the sport is in being able to go outside and run at a moment’s notice.
You can run by yourself.
You can be free.
You can do whatever you want.
It clears your mind of all your problems and stress.
“I love running on trails. I love the sound of the dirt crunching. I love the wind moving through my body as I move through the landscape. I love how I feel like I’m totally free in that moment and I seem to forget all my worries,” Brock Cannon, vegan ultra-endurance athlete and author of The Switchback Approach said.
According to Cigna, when you run on a sunny day your body produce more vitamin D. It’s a perfect activity for when you’re feeling down, because vitamin D helps lessen depressive symptoms.
Running also boosts your self-esteem. By setting goals, you push yourself to improve. That empowerment and sense of accomplishment will leave you feeling much happier. From personal experience, I set a goal to run a half-marathon in under 2 hours. Once I ran a 1:46, it gave me a ton of confidence in myself.
Running has made my life much more meaningful and I don’t know where I’d be today without it. If it can help me be a happier and more confident person, it may help you too.
