Batavierenrace - Is Running Good?
Did you participate in the Batavierenrace this past week? Have you ever thought why we like running and doing sports? Well, so do I and therefore I decided to research the psychology of participating in sports. It is common knowledge that running and participating in active movement are generally good for your health and well-being, but the mental benefits might not be as clear.
Physical health motivations are seen as the strongest motivator for participating in sports, however, psychological and social motivations are seen as enduring motivators and as such possibly being a bigger influential factor in participating in sports (Jular & Kasnakoglu, 2017). There is a general association between exercise and mental wellbeing as more frequent exercise leads to a more favourable appraisal of one’s own physical well-being, which leads to more positively associated mental emotional and mental well-being.
In a study about the connection between exercise and mental health, Jular and Kasnakoglu (2017) found that students reportedly felt physically better as the frequency of exercise increased. With the positive association further strengthening the frequency and intensity of their exercises. Physical exercise such as running seems to positively influence one’s physical and mental well-being, with the positive mental influence further strengthening one’s need for exercise.
People who are physically active are 3 times less likely to suffer from depression than inactive individuals as stated by Armstrong and Oomen, they further noted that that an individual’s depressive symptoms decrease with increasing levels of physical activity (Armstrong & Oomen-Early, 2009, p. 521). Positive mental health and participating in running are seemingly connected with a positive feedback loop existing between the two variables.
This is an essential part in the health of a community as a whole as stated by Jolley-Ryan ‘unhappy, stressed put, depressed law students often become unhappy, stressed-out lawyers’, participating in sports is therefore not only good for one’s personal physical and mental health but also good for society as a whole.
So go on and enjoy your morning jogs, and maybe consider participating in Dimensie’s Batavieren team next year!
