Set your mood like you set your treadmill

Why do we run? Do we do it to get away from everyday living? Do we do it to lose ourselves in our own little worlds? Or do we run to change our state of mind? This brought us to our question of what is the real reason we run and how does running change our attitude to life?

In our study we found that the main factors effecting and determining our mood, is our pre-exercise mood, our feelings of exertion during exercise, our reasons for running, and the gender role on mood improvements. We also saw that we run because it is fun, enjoyable, and absence of competition is the largest contributors for mood improvements.

Therefore, the next time life gets you down in the dumps, put your running shoes on and get ready for a life changing experience, because all you need to do before you go for a run, is prepare yourself psychologically and have positive expectations. Start running at a very slow pace with moderate exertion. Get in touch with your feminine side by becoming more patient and emotional while running, and before you know it, you’ll have a clearer view of life.

O’Halloran, P. D., Murphy, G. C. & Webster, K. E. (2005). Moderators of mood during a 60-minute treadmill run. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 36, 241-250.