Whenever she feels stressed, angry or just down in the dumps, Anita Rama puts on her running shoes and heads out for a run. Running, she says, has seen her through some of the toughest moments in her life and has given her clarity that nothing else has.
"I started running in 2009. At the time, I was caring for my terminally ill mother and was also having a tough time managing work and family-related stress too. One day, I decided to go for a run. I'd never run before but for some reason I felt I needed to be outdoors. I just ran.
"I couldn't believe how good it made me feel. Even though I alternated between walking and running that first time, I felt refreshed, rejuvenated, alive and ready to face the day with a better attitude. I've never stopped running since," says Anita, 42, who continues to participate in marathons (at least one a year) till today.
Running, she says, did more than just lift her spirits and clear her mind. She also started sleeping and eating better and "I became more disciplined".
"Once I started running, I realised I needed to work on improving my form ... for self-preservation so I wouldn't get injuries. I started watching YouTube videos on running and some of these highlighted the importance of a proper diet.
"I started paying more attention to my body and my health and before long, I didn't just feel better, I looked better too. I made sure I got enough sleep so that I could run in the mornings and, amazingly, I didn't feel tired in the afternoons as I used to. I became fit," she says.
It's not uncommon to hear runners, like Anita, extolling the transformative power of running.
For Samantha Lo Yue Yoke, running has been an "absolute stress reliever".
"Regardless whether I am running alone or with my run group, running is my preferred way of relieving stress," she says. "When I am running, I practise staying focused on a task (for example, the direction that I am to run in) and practise staying alert (being aware of my surroundings) for safety.
"Running long distances or running fast hones mental strength as otherwise I will keep wanting to give up when I get tired," she says.
Lo started running in races about a decade ago and has since run multiple full marathons and even an ultra marathon.
"Running has helped me maintain good health. I have connected with a lot of people that I would not have met if it were not for our common love for this sport. I hope that I touched their lives in a positive way as they have definitely touched mine.
"I have also discovered that I could achieve my goals if I set my mind to it and make a plan to make it happen. I was not active in sports in school and here I am completing runs with a distance of 42km at one go! I do not regret discovering endurance sports as an adult because it is better late than never," says Lo who is in her 50s and currently training for the Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM 2022) which is in two weeks.
High on running
Numerous studies show that regular cardiovascular exercise, especially running, has multiple benefits for our mental and physical health.
In his article, Truth Behind ‘Runner’s High’ And Other Mental Benefits Of Running published online on hopkinsmedicine,org, Dr David J. Linden believes that exercise has a dramatic anti-depressive effect.
"It blunts the brain’s response to physical and emotional stress," says Linden, a professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the United States.
"The mental benefits don’t stop when you finish your run – regular cardiovascular exercise can spark growth of new blood vessels to nourish the brain. Exercise may also produce new brain cells in certain locations through a process called neurogenesis, which may lead to an overall improvement in brain performance and prevent cognitive decline," he says in his article.
Universiti Sains Malaysia associate professor Dr Garry Kuan, a lecturer at the Exercise and Sports Science Programme at the School of Health Sciences, is also a firm believer in the mental health benefits of running.
Kuan, who works with local and international athletes, says that he has seen first-hand the "tremendous benefits" of running not only on athletic performance but also mental and emotional well-being.
"There are many benefits to running. The release of endorphins makes you feel good ... it boosts your mood. The fresh air and sunshine also have many benefits. You will find that just running for 20 to 30 minutes will leave you feeling better, more mindful, less stressed ... you will be 'in the zone' and might find answers to problems you have been toiling with. It can also help reduce anxiety," he says.
Kuan says that he has even worked with athletes with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) for whom running has helped with overcoming their trauma or depression.
"It was very apparent during the pandemic lockdowns when many athletes were beginning to feel down and depressed because they could not go out to train as before. But something as simple as running around their house compound or neighbourhood helped boost their moods and gave them clarity of thought. It improved their self-esteem too," he shares.
"I had two PhD students from Iran, both ex-athletes. They were suffering from depression, they didn't like to meet people and began to feel inferior. They started to see a psychiatrist and started to take medication to help them cope with their depression.
"One of them even left to go home to Iran. I invited the student who was still at USM to come running with me in the evening. Even after the first day, I saw some improvements in him. He started to feel better, he mingled with other runners and he got clarity of mind. After a while, he convinced his friend to return to our university – which he did! They both completed their doctorates.
"It's been two years and they are doing well and have stopped their medications. So I really believe that running has mental health benefits," shares Kuan.
Get your move on
"Rick Hoyt was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth and was wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life. He first asked his dad, Dick, if they could run a race together in 1977 in aid of a paralysed lacrosse player. Dick would run while pushing Rick in a wheelchair. They went on to compete in 257 triathlons, including six ironmans and 72 marathons.
"Rick said that running kept him alive but when Dick went for a medical check early in the adventures of Team Hoyt, the doctors said that all his training was actually keeping him alive.
"It was a team where running was keeping one of them alive physically and the other alive mentally!" shares Williams, who has been head coach for the KLSCM for the past 14 years.
The former athlete – Williams played professional soccer and was also a podium winner at international marathons – says that he could "talk all day" about the physical and mental benefits of running.
"You can research it and you will find plenty of evidence – (running helps with) stress management, prevention of cognitive decline, (fostering a) calmer state of mind, brainpower boost, better sleep and so on.
"You can use different types of runs for different purposes. I can use running as a social activity to catch up with a friend or I can opt to go out on my own and gather my thoughts, put things in order and prepare myself for the next eventualities. Or, I can go out for a 'hard' session and remind myself that I may be 51 on paper but I can still go out and achieve goals. All of that improves my mental well-being.
"(And) besides the obvious health benefits, regular training helps you to arrange your life. In order to fit a run into a hectic day, you have to organise your day. In doing this, you actually become more efficient in everything that you do. I have always said that the journey of training is more important than the outcome," he says.
While running is a sport that can be accessible to anyone, Williams recommends that newbie runners join activities that involve others.
"For example, join a running club or just involve yourself with people of a similar mindset (those wanting to start running). This is so much easier to do these days with social media. The second advice I would give to newbie runners is the same given to anyone who starts something new: Have goals but make them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed). For example, a goal could be to go for two runs a week and increase this to three runs a week within the next two months," he concludes.