RUN FOR YOUR LIFE – LITERALLY: THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF RUNNING
Published: 11/04/2025, by Priya Gopaldas
Meet Priya Gopaldas, one of Sports Direct's newest Running Ambassadors. It’s hard to believe now, but running wasn’t always her thing – in fact, quite the opposite. But, fast forward to today, and she can't imagine her life without it. In this article, Priya draws on her expertise as both a doctor and a runner to explore the mental and physical benefits of the sport.
RUNNING AND ME
Running is more than just a form of exercise to me – it has shaped my entire life. It’s taught me about resilience and discipline, which are super important in my career as a doctor. Running has given me the power to push through boundaries – both mentally and physically. Since I’ve started running, things that used to be way out of my comfort zone, like appearing on Love Island and climbing a mountain, no longer feel impossible.
My first running race was the Year 5 cross-country. I loved playing team sports but hated every single minute of that run: the cold fingers, mud everywhere, the competition (elbows were out!).
After that experience I didn’t ever want to run again. But while I was in sixth form, stressed out about exams that would decide whether I would get into medical school, my dad asked me to join him on a run. He was a keen runner and said it would be an “easy 5k” jog.
I didn’t realise just how far 5k feels to a new runner – I ended up walking 3k in.
“After that experience I didn’t ever want to run again.”
Surprisingly, when I got back home after the run, I realised my stress had eased and I had more focus and energy when I was revising that evening. Throughout medical school, I would run for these exact reasons. In fact, I don’t think I would’ve got through the stressful of medical school exams or my current daily life as a doctor if I didn’t run.
RUNNER’S HIGH – WHAT IS IT?
So, why do we feel so good after a run? Well, lots of runners know this feeling as the “runner’s high” which happens with the release of the following chemicals in the brain and body during exercise.
- Endorphins: You’ve probably heard that these act as natural painkillers – the chemical that masks the pain of tired legs and give you that feeling of bliss on a run (Sprouse-Blum et al., 2010).
- Endocannabinoids: They’re the same substance that causes the high that marijuana produces and it’s released naturally from the body when running. They’re found in all cells of the body and have the largest impact on improving our mood and releasing our stress when we run (Siebers et al., 2021)
- Dopamine: It fuels our sense of reward and motivation while serotonin lifts our mood, leaving us in a state of pleasure and mental clarity – a perfect cocktail that enhances the runner’s high.
HOW DOES RUNNING IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH?
Not every runner experiences this feeling when they run – that’s also normal! Fitness level, running intensity, your mental state before the run and differences in our neurochemistry can influence how our brains immediately respond to exercise (Basso & Suzuki, 2017).
But there are also many mental benefits that we may not pick up on straight away after a run. For example, running contributes to improved memory and learning ability through encouraging the growth of neurons in the brain (Vivar & van Praag, 2017). When we complete a tough run or get a new PB, this can also give us the confidence to believe in ourselves and gives us the resilience to handle tougher challenges.
The communities within running – whether that’s run clubs, race events or online coaching also bring us together. Creating these friendships can offer us support during difficult times.
In short, running can make you happier, tougher and smarter – no surprise that there are so many of us who love doing it.
WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF RUNNING?
When it comes to the physical benefits of running, one of the most important ones is improving your cardiovascular health.
Running gets the heart pumping to supply blood to your muscles, which helps to strengthen the heart muscle, lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels. In fact, regular runners have a 45% reduced risk of heart disease (Oja et al., 2017) compared to non-runners. And during each running stride, your bones are supporting your body weight, which therefore helps to strengthen your bones. Strong bones mean less chance of fractures as you age.
I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis when I was 15, and it causes me to have a chronic cough and be more susceptible to chest infections.
For me personally, running is a way I use to manage my chronic lung condition. I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis when I was 15, and it causes me to have a chronic cough and be more susceptible to chest infections. Running regularly helps to increase lung capacity; strengthen the muscles we use to breathe and clears out the germs in our airways. And it has probably been the main reason why I haven’t needed to use inhalers in many years.
?fmt=auto&upscale=false&w=864&$h-ttl$)
HOW TO START RUNNING
I hope that by sharing my personal experiences of how running has improved my life, along with a bit of the science behind how it can help us both mentally and physically, I can encourage anyone who doesn’t yet run to give it a try.
So, if you’d like to become part of this incredible community but don’t know where to start, here are my tips:
- Try out a training plan. I use the Runna app, which offers plans for all abilities (let me know if you’d like to try out a plan for free!) There’s also an NHS Couch to 5k programme which is perfect for those who are totally new to running.
- Do a quick google search of run clubs in your area. Finding a run club that suits you isn’t always the easiest – but there are now so many clubs that meet at different times and welcome all abilities, so I’d recommend trying out a local session!
- Reward yourself after you run. This could be ending your run at your favourite bakery, seeing your friends for a post run coffee or doing anything that makes you happy! This teaches the brain to associate exercise with immediate reward and can help to build running into a habit.
- Remember your “why”. Why do you want to run? We all have our own reasons but it’s good to know yours and to regularly remind yourself of that reason – it’ll help you to stay motivated to run on those days when you really don’t fancy it.
All images featured are taken from @priyagopaldas Instagram.