When you’re new to running, it’s so easy to think of it as a chore. A necessary evil that you have to grit your teeth and get on with. No pain, no gain and all that jazz.

But the real delight of running is not how fit it makes you, but rather what it does to you on the inside.

A huge body of research shows exactly how important exercise is in reducing feelings of depression and stress. In fact, studies suggest that working out can be as effective as medication in certain cases, in terms of the effect it has in elevating mood levels.

There are countless stories out there of how people feel happier through running every day.

This won’t happen overnight; and nor will you necessarily need it to. But the key here is to shift your focus from the actual physical part of running; the distance you’re covering, how much your legs ache or whether or not you can make it to the next tree.

Instead, start paying attention to how you feel. When you run, your mind has this amazing capacity to wander and start solving problems, all of its own accord. And there’s huge sense of freedom that comes with just breaking out, and going wherever your gut takes you; drinking in views and head space along the way.

When you get to this point, running becomes a sort of meditation; and that’s the magic that’ll keep you going through thick and thin.

Images: Getty, Instagram

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