I’ve always been an anxious person. At best, a chronic overthinker. I’ve visualised worst case scenarios in every situation; phone calls, social events, exams; check ups at the doctors; check ups at the vets; flying; work; joining a new club. And whilst anxiety is beneficial in certain situations, there comes a point where it dictates what you can and can’t do, and quickly turns from useful into debilitating.
It wasn’t until I started running that I found something of an answer.
On long runs, I found my mind slowed completely. I appreciated sights and sounds I’d usually have overlooked. Birds singing, families on walks, fields of wildflowers. On hard runs, my mind was focused purely on the next step, the next interval, on regulating my breathing. My mind was so occupied on pushing me forward that there was no energy for anxious thoughts.
After a run, I’d stretch, sit, have a coffee. And rather than being flooded with anxious thoughts, it felt like a reset button had been pressed. Decisions I’d been worrying about came easily. Instead of thoughts racing at 100mph, they felt slowed and controlled.
It was here that I realised I may have found the quiet I’d been looking for.
The Anxiety Loop
To start this off, anxiety is perfectly normal. It is a natural and evolutionary response to a perceived danger, that literally kept our ancestors alive. In a healthy response to a situation, say hearing a noise when walking home in the dark, the process will go a little like…
- The amygdala in the brain acts like an alarm system, reacting to a potentially dangerous situation by sending a signal to the hypothalamus.
- The hypothalamus, also in the brain, activates a branch of the autonomic nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system, often termed the ‘fight or flight response’
- The sympathetic nervous system produces a response to the threat, priming the body to be best equipped to deal with it. This includes survival mechanisms such as increasing heart rate, releasing hormones (adrenaline and cortisol), increasing blood flow to muscles and sharpened senses.
- The prefrontal cortex in the brain activates, and interprets the situation, deciding whether a real threat has been perceived.
- Once the brain has established safety, the other branch of the autonomic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, producing opposite effects to the sympathetic nervous system: heart rate slows, breathing returns to normal, blood flow is redirected to organs.
However, when these regulatory mechanisms don’t function as they should, ‘normal’ anxiety, can develop into an anxiety disorder.
This aim of this blog isn’t to dive into the cause of anxiety disorders, but it is important to understand how it can develop, in order to understand how running can help manage it.
And the answer is, there is no single cause to anxiety disorders. Cetain factors in combination do, however, make it more likely for a disorder to develop. Genetic predisposition (such as inheriting a more reactive amygdala), experiencing traumatic events that cause the brain to stay on high-alert, unhealthy thinking patterns, excessive caffeine or alcohol consumption, age and sex are among a few factors that influence the development of a disorder.
Running: Why it helps
I’ll begin this section with a caveat, running is not a cure to anxiety. It won’t completely eradicate anxious thoughts, but it will help how your brain and body both regulate and manage them.
Shifting the balance of the autonomic nervous system
Regular running rewires the autonomic nervous system. That is to say, it increases the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, and reduces the impact of the sympathetic nervous system when resting. Over time, this shift in balance means that even when not running, the body has higher parasympathetic dominance, and is both calmer and less responsive to false threats.
Similarly, when responding to a ‘real threat’, the body can return to baseline afterwards far more effectively, reducing the time in the heightened anxious state and reducing the risk of spiralling into further anxious thoughts or unhealthy thinking patterns.
Brain chemistry
We can’t change our genetics. Some of us have a predisposition to low levels of chemicals, high levels of others. However, running promotes the release of many neurotransmitters, some of these are involved in complex pathways that regulate anxiety.
Taking two as an example:
Exercise has been shown to release serotonin in specific brain regions involved in emotional processing, such as the amygdala. Increasing serotonin in these areas, increases the activity of GABA, which promotes relaxation and dampens exaggerated anxious responses. Regular exercise promotes synergy between serotonin and GABA, ensuring they are both properly modulated, which reduces the response to non-threats, whilst maintaining an appropriate response to actual threats. Serotonin also regulates baseline mood, helping to relax the body, and ensure it isn’t constantly living on edge. Rather than waiting for a threat, the brain is instead in a relaxed, calm state.
Endocannabinoids also work in many different pathways. One of the major pathways regulates responses to stress, and promotes homeostasis (balance across the body). Exercise increases levels of endocannabinoids which in turn regulate the release of glucocorticoids (stress hormones). This ensures glucocorticoid secretion to non-threats is limited, and responses to actual threats are controlled and not exaggerated. Studies have shown that elevated endocannabinoid levels also reduce the sensitivity of specific brain regions, illustrating that regular running can essentially help rewire the brain to be more resilient to typical daily stressors.
Mindfulness
Often overlooked, but the physical action of running itself gives the brain something to focus on, both consciously and unconsciously. Thinking about the next step; considering breathing patterns; having a heightened awareness of the surroundings; checking pace; even thinking about the lactic acid burn, it’s all energy the brain cannot use worrying or over-analysing other situations.
Studies have shown that running not only distracts the brain temporarily, but actually anchors focus and establishes a habit of being present. With practice, this habit can be transferred to day-to-day life, and the practice of ‘becoming present’ can be applied in stressful situations to calm both mind and body, and reduce feelings of anxiety.
Practical Tips
The list above is by no means exhaustive. Running has countless benefits in regulating anxiety.
However, the thought of going for a run can in itself cause anxiety. The following are some practical actions that can be taken to get your foot out the door, and optimise your running to reduce anxiety.
- Start as short as feels comfortable. Most studies show benefits of running after 10 minutes. The hardest bit is getting out the door. Allow yourself to turn around whenever you need. Every time you do it, you gain confidence and build the habit.
- Warm up and cool down. Even on easy runs. This regulates the nervous system and grants the body time to transition effectively, reducing sudden stress.
- Run outdoors. If possible, always choose outside over the gym. You have more freedom, less pressure or feelings of being judged, and breathing in fresh air after a long day at work has many benefits in itself.
- Run with others. Again, if possible, find a group, or a friend to run with. Sharing the miles with someone else amplifies the benefits and likely increases how much you enjoy it.
- Be patient. Some days are rubbish. Some days everything hurts. Some days it feels really hard. Accept that for what it is. Practice finding the positives and practice acceptance. This will build resilience to stressful situations in life.
Running may not be a cure all, but it’s certainly helped me. And maybe, with practice, it can help you too.
Research studies
Health, psychosocial and cognitive factors associated with anxiety symptoms | Current Psychology
Effect of endurance exercise on autonomic control of heart rate – PubMed