How to be a happier runner in 2020

It is now widely accepted that aerobic exercise, and particularly running, can boost our wellbeing, mental health and cognitive abilities. Research has found that for mental health issues such as stress and anxiety, time in our trainers can be as effective as pills or psychological therapies. And a study that collated the results of 30 trials found it can also reduce symptoms of depression. But run in the right way and it won’t just ease those negative symptoms, it can create a happier you.

To find out more, sport and exercise psychologist Dr Josie Perry shares 20 ways all runners can run happier.

1. Develop a mastery focus

When outcomes are our currency, our happiness is tied to something we can’t control. When we focus on mastery – improving technique, form, fitness or effort – we can control our improvements and feel more positive.

2. Win or learn

Not every run feels great in the moment, but spending a few minutes afterwards working out what didn’t make it great, helps you spot patterns and negative triggers to avoid in the future.

3. Find water

Running close to water has been linked to better physical and mental wellbeing, partly owing to the cleaner air but also because the environment encourages a calmer, more meditative state. A University of Exeter study recommends exercising for two hours a week close to water.

4. Get your dose

Research on the benefits of aerobic exercise for those with anxiety, stress or depression prescribes at least 30-35 minutes, three to five days a week for at least 12 weeks.

5. Run naked

Not literally. Unless that makes you happy. While setting goals and measuring how we are doing against them helps keep us on track, too much racing can sap the joy. Once a week, run tech-free.

6. Get arty

If you are using tech, try having some fun and getting creative with it. Develop some Strava art to add some fun, focus – and maybe a little mayhem – to your run.

7. Find the love

Remember why you really love running. Not external drivers like medals or praise from others, but your internal motivations; the feelings, the flow and the processes that first captured your heart.

8. Seek beauty

A study by Barry University in the US found runners enjoyed a run more when it involved seeing animals or beauty, or if they felt solitude and enjoyed changing senses, views and sounds.

9. Go social

Running with others doesn’t just make a session fly by, it’s also a relaxed way of making new friends and, social animals that we are, new friendships will boost our mental wellbeing.

10. Log smiles

A study from the University of Kent found seeing smiling faces when exercising increases our endurance by 12 per cent over those who see grumpy faces.

11. Get a buddy

Running alongside someone else can be motivating, as their positivity and enjoyment can be contagious. Their presence can help us work harder, make our efforts feel easier and improve our technique as we subconsciously mirror their style.

12. Snap it up

Use your phone camera. No, not for a running selfie, but to find something special to share with a loved one. This helps us focus on the environment rather than stay wrapped up inside our own head.

13. Solve puzzles

When we have been working on a problem, we think we put it aside when we run. We don’t. In the background, our brain continues trying to crack the problem, often successfully. Use this strategically and run when you feel stuck.

14. Find purpose

The discipline required in running can make us selfish, but running for others opens new perspectives and communities. Joining a group like Goodgym can help both ourselves, and those we help, feel better.

15. Listen up

If you rarely get time for reading, listening to an audio book while running can provide you with some escapism, keep your mind off the numbers and, if you finish on a cliffhanger, it gets you out the door again tomorrow.

16. Prioritise progress

If you have an outcome goal (eg a target race time), break it down into smaller chunks. Each time you achieve one of these, you’ll benefit from the buzz of your brain releasing the reward chemical dopamine

17. Smile

When the going gets tough, research has shown that simple act of smiling can make things feel easier. A study from Ulster University found runners who purposely smiled when struggling had lower oxygen consumption and a lower perception of effort.

18. Go the distance

Use the mental space you get when running to notice your thoughts and distance yourself from the negative ones. Instead of ‘I’m a bad runner’ say, ‘I notice I’m thinking I’m a bad runner.’ This reminds us that we are not our thoughts.

19. Find flow

Follow the mantra of the US Navy Seals, who say, ‘Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.’ Intense focus on how we run increases our chances of getting into a flow state.

20. Be thankful

Gratitude, the process of giving thanks for what we have, magnifies positive emotions. If you can find a reason to be grateful at the end of each of your runs, you’ll shift your overall perspective to a more joyful one. Enjoy it.