Running is more than just training and building endurance. It is also one of the best ways of relieving stress, spending quality “me” time, and it is recommended by many doctors as a side therapy in case of depression and anxiety. But even perfectly healthy people can benefit from the joys and the health boost of going for a run periodically. It is one of the simplest and least expensive ways of staying fit and keeping various medical conditions at bay (such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diseases of the muscular system).

Various doctors and physical therapists state that free running, either on track or in nature, is one of the best ways to focus and sharpen your mind, and that this is one of the reasons why top entrepreneurs and visionary businesspeople include running in their daily routine.

These are just a few of the benefits you can get from taking up running (besides a firm and toned body):

  1. You Can Relieve Stress and Negative Thoughts

There are a lot of phrases and sayings which revolve around running away from problems, worries and stress. While ditching and avoiding responsibilities is never recommended, it is good to go out every once in a while to run and sweat out your worries and negative thoughts.

Running in a park or on off-road trails is a great distraction from your inner thoughts by captivating your attention with the changing scenery, and encouraging you to focus on beautiful images and positive thoughts.

  1. You Can Find Unexpected Inspiration for Great Ideas

As you run, your mental energy is released as it has to focus on keeping your body in the right position, avoiding obstacles in front of you and keeping track of your direction. Thus, you stop churning unproductive thoughts, and your mind can suddenly identify that brilliant idea you have been looking for and stressing yourself over for days.

Running brings great clarity of mind even on a physical level: the accelerated blood flow brings more oxygen to your brain, thus making it work faster and better.

  1. It Is a Great Way of Socializing in Silence

A lot of people run side by side, saying nothing to each other. Yet you can feel the sense of satisfaction and companionship between them. Running is one of the best ways of bonding with friends and with your significant other.

Without any need to compete against each other, or to show off your skills and endurance, you can enjoy a good run knowing that you are not alone, even in an unknown and unexplored environment. At the end of the run, you will sense the increased level of trust and closeness to your running partner.

  1. Free Running Puts Your Whole Body to Work

Professional trainers say that you do not run only with your legs, you run even with your eyes and brain. This is perfectly true. As you run, you angle your body to create a sense of aerodynamics, you sync your arm movements with your legs, you teach your lungs to breathe in and out more efficiently, and you scan the road ahead of you and in a split second determine the best route to take.

  1. Running Boosts Your Self Confidence

For amateur runners, the first mile is a milestone that seems too hard to attain. They remain mentally blocked in to a place where they see themselves as unable and unfit to cover this distance, and this way of thinking encroaches on everything else – including their professional abilities. As they overcome the first milestone, and then the next, they start demolishing all the mental barriers holding them back from becoming a better person.

This shows that running is not just good for the body, it is also good for your mind and for your self-esteem. It is therapeutic in the sense that it opens up ways in which you can become stronger physically and mentally; it helps you find peace within yourself and the sense of accomplishment without stress and self-doubt.