People who run regularly are probably already well aware of this, but now there’s concrete data to prove that running actually makes you happier.
According to a new university study, running makes people happier and more confident in everyday life.
Researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University carried out the study by interviewing 8157 regular joggers across the UK registered with parkrun, the nationwide weekly free 5K run and fitness app Strava.
The survey found that over 89 percent of runners said it has made them happier and has had a positive impact on their mental health, body image and motivation, with women benefiting the most.
Those surveyed scored 4.4 on the Oxford Happiness Scale, above the average score of 4 on the method used by scientists to measure well-being, according to Press Association.
Dr Emmanuelle Tulle, reader in Sociology at the university, said: “Running gives you a feeling you have achieved something and a sense of tremendous satisfaction. It adds to a general sense of well-being, you feel good and it helps boosts your self-confidence.”
“The combination of attending parkrun and being able to track your progress on Strava makes runners feel as if they are not on their own, it enables them to see the point of running.”
Tulle added: “They are much more likely to maintain regular exercise as a result and reap the benefits. There is a combination of competitiveness and togetherness, which is extremely beneficial.”
Meanwhile, a separate study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that engaging in physical activity decreases an individual’s chance of developing depression.
Researchers examined data from 49 different studies which included information on depression and physical activity, ITV reports. In total, data concerning 266,939 people were included in the analysis.
The findings showed that those with high levels of activity had lower odds of developing depression, compared to people with low levels of physical activity.
“Our robust analysis of over a quarter of a million people found consistent evidence that people who are more active are less likely to develop depression in the future,” study co-author Dr Brendon Stubbs, head of physiotherapy at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, told ITV.
“We found that higher levels of physical activity were protective from future depression in children, adults and older adults across every continent and after taking into account other important factors such as body mass index, smoking and physical health conditions.
“Given the multitude of other health benefits of physical activity, our data add to the pressing calls to prioritize physical activity across the lifespan.”