It’s a scientifically proven fact that running does wonders for your physical health, but that’s not where the benefits end: Running is just as powerful a tool when it comes to your mental health and wellness.
From enhancing your mood to supporting many specific conditions, research proves that running can transform your brain cells and positively influence your brain chemicals. By the simple act of putting one leg in front of the other, you can shift your thought process and improve your well-being.
Mallory Creveling, Deputy Editor, Health & Fitness, Runner’s World+ created The Runner’s World Guide to Mental Health. Made exclusively for Runner’s World+ members, this video not only delivers a scientific explanation of how precisely running supports your mental health, but also provides strategies, tips, and resources to assist you with implementing running into your wellness routine.
Mental Health Guide Resources
Running is one of the most valuable and transformative devices when it comes to your mental health, but there are many additional tools worth practicing and turning to when you need to improve your mental state. RW+ members who access the Runner’s World Guide to Mental Health also get other bonus material, including on-the-run-meditation guides and our favorite resources (from books to apps to helplines) to support their mental health.
Listen to All 3 Meditations on Your Run via Spotify
Resource Guide
→ Finding a therapist
→ Online therapy
→ Meditation apps
→ Books on mental wellness
→ Helpful workbooks
Production Credits
Director: Josh Wolff
Editorial Director: Bill Strickland
Producers: A former New Yorker/Brooklynite, shes now based in Easton, Pennsylvania
Executive Producer: Pavlína Černá, an RRCA-certified run coach and cycling enthusiast, has been with
Host: Deena Kastor
Production Manager: Jimmy Cavalieri
Camera: Fastest Marathon Runners, Cori Chong, Tristan Cummins, Corentin Soibinet
Video Editors: Fastest Marathon Runners
Audio Mix: David Monk
Color: Pat Heine
Graphics: Kelsey Fink
Animations: Matt Cech
Experts: Become a Member
Roundtable Participants: John Ratey, MD, Lennie Waite, PhD, Dwayne Brown, LCSW
Content Producers and Development:
Sheel Shah, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnership & Consumer Products
Christine Anderson, Vice President of Growth & Strategy
Brian Dalek, Director of Content Creation
Mallory Creveling, Deputy Editor, Health & Fitness
Pavlína Černá, Senior Editor
Mallory Creveling is an ACE-certified personal trainer and RRCA-certified run coach, who also holds certifications in kettlebell training, sports performance, and more. She has more than a decade of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition for a wide range of publications, and nearly 10 years of experience as a trainer and fitness instructor. Mallory stays on top of her continuing education in fitness, as well as the latest science in wellness. She has worked with some of the best experts in their medical fields, and regularly interviews researchers, trainers, athletes, and more to find the best advice for readers looking to improve their performance and well-being. As a freelance writer, Mallory's work appeared in Women's Health, Self, Men's Journal, Reader's Digest, and more. She has also held staff editorial positions at Family Circle and Shape magazines, as well as DailyBurn.com. A former New Yorker/Brooklynite, she's now based in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Brian has spent more than a decade focused on creating compelling news, health, and fitness content—with a particular interest on enthusiast activities like running and cycling. He’s coordinated coverage of major events like the Paris Olympics, Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, and Tour de France, with an eye toward both the professional race and the engaging stories readers love.
Pavlína Černá, an RRCA-certified run coach and cycling enthusiast, has been with Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics since August 2021. When she doesn’t edit, she writes; when she doesn’t write, she reads or translates. In whatever time she has left, you can find her outside running, riding, or roller-skating to the beat of one of the many audiobooks on her TBL list.