Running Is My Therapy: Relieve Stress and Anxiety, Fight Depression, Ditch Bad Habits, and Live Happier

Another key to later-in-life brain health is running’s role in lowering inflammation. Amyloid plaques are fibrous clumps of protein fragments that attach to the outside of cells and are thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s and other cognitive problems. Smith and Burns agree that regular running can help to remove these plaques and other toxic subst

12 As we’ll see in greater detail later, BDNF contributes to the growth of more neurons in the brain and increases in the size of the hippocampus.

such as a Spanish study that found aerobically fit subjects performed better than sedentary people on a test of sustained mental focus. 5

sedentary. After as little as six weeks of regular workouts, the exercisers improve their performance on several mental tests, including working memory (the ability to temporarily store and use information needed to carry out a task) and visuospatial processing (the ability to perceive and interact with what you see around you.

A Dutch study published in 2013 found that regular exercisers performed better on a creative problem-solving test when they did a short workout.

In discussing their findings, the researchers suggested that regular running seems to rewire our brains.

Many of the positive changes here described—increased BDNF levels, better-functioning neurotransmitter systems, growth in the hippocampus—are key to running providing short- and long-term relief from depression and anxiety.

Experience and a growing body of research show that regular physical exercise is just as beneficial for your brain as it is for your heart, muscles, bones, and every other part of your body.

Research overwhelmingly shows that people who regularly do aerobic exercise, such as running, perform better on several types of cognitive tasks.