Newkey-Burden - Running: cheaper than therapy: a celebration of running

Introduction

Try and name an activity that always makes you feel better.

Tricky, isnt it? Even indulgent treats such as shopping, drinking or holidays can leave you feeling a bit unmoved or unfulfilled, especially afterwards. And the earth cant always move between the sheets.

For many of us, when we want a guaranteed lift, little can compete with running it is so unanswerably genuine and so democratically approachable. It just always rewards you, doesnt it?

From a short jog around the park that nudges your mood gently upwards to longer outings that produce a lengthy buzz or the closing stages of the marathon when you feel physically demolished but emotionally invincible all at once, it delivers every time.

If someone could bottle what running gives you, they would make a fortune. But they cannot, so we must put on our trainers and get out there to find it.

A compendium of wisdom and humour, the pages ahead try to do justice to that search. In them, we take a look at the familiar archetypes of the running community, from the nutrition nut and unsolicited coach to the gadget guru and the inexplicably good old dear.

We also examine everything from jogging etiquette to the 26.2 things that always happen when you tackle a marathon, and the connection between running and smoking cannabis. There are also stats, tips and anecdotes, the funniest signs ever seen at marathons, and so much more.

Guest contributors including Olympic medallist Liz Yelling, political strategist Alastair Campbell and comedian David Baddiel all trot by to offer their thoughts, whereas others explain how running helped them beat cancer, get over a violent attack or write a best-selling novel.

As a collection of musings, the book is intentionally as varied and random as the entrants you see at any running event: from the solemn science that leads the charge to the middle ground that takes it all kind of seriously, but not too seriously, and then the more light-hearted stragglers at the back, who can see how daft a lot of the running experience is but love it all the more for that.

Running is, ultimately, both daft and divine. In these crazy times, if you want to feel a bit better about the world, theres no more dependable friend than a dash in the great outdoors.

And its cheaper than therapy

Chas Newkey Burden, 2017.

26 Reasons to Run

1. Happiness

We want to set off for this motivational marathon in the best of spirits, so lets start with a particularly happy fact: numerous studies have shown that running reduces stress, anxiety and depression. It helps to make you feel better in both the short and long term.

In fact, according to a recent study, the runners high is aptly named: we feel jubilation after a long period of exertion due to a rush of chemical substances called cannabinoids, the same stuff thats found in marijuana. A healthier high!

2. Immune boost

Running for up to an hour at a moderate intensity bolsters your immune system, by accelerating the circulation of protective cells.

3. Stronger knees

Lazy people will tell you that running is bad for your knees. Well, wave this fact in their face: according to Boston University, regular running actually improves knee health. It also strengthens bones and joints.

4. Its cheap!

Gym memberships drain your bank account, particularly once you include the joining fee, padlock charge and all those other sneaky little add-ons. Bikes are expensive to buy and maintain. Swimming costs you every time you do it. Running, however, is the cheapest of exercise regimes. The only significant cost is a new pair of running shoes every 800 kilometres (500 miles) or so.

5. A longer life

Jogging can extend your time on the planet. Studies show that exercising helps you to live longer by as much as 5.3 years.

6. Discovery

Jog around your neighbourhood regularly and you begin to discover local wonders you never knew existed. As you stumble upon hidden parks, secret riverbanks and other esoteric delights, youll feel like an heroic explorer.

7. Humility

Many beginners assume that theyll be universally laughed and pointed at as they run down the street in their shorts but, as they quickly discover, nobody pays much attention to what theyre doing. This is a useful reality check for life.

8. Core blimey!

You may not instinctively link running with the strengthening of the core, but it actually gives these muscles a workout thanks to the spinal rotation involved. If your regular route includes uneven surfaces, all the rebalancing involved will only enhance this.

9. A younger mind

We create fewer brain cells as we get older. However, scientists at the University of Cambridge led by behavioural neuroscientist Timothy Bussey said in 2010 that regular running reverses this development, keeping your mind young.

10. Lower cancer risk

A colossal study in the Journal of Nutrition linked regular exercise with a lower risk of some cancers. Also, according to research by Runners World , for those with cancer, sensible running can enhance their quality of life while theyre undergoing chemotherapy.

11. Greater memory

OK, were into double figures, so remember this: running boosts the production of neurotrophic factors. These chemicals, which stimulate brain growth, focus especially on the wonderfully named hippocampus region, the place where your memories are stored. Get out there and run your way to elephantine recall.

12. Lower blood pressure

A report from the American Heart Association published in 2013 in the (wonderfully monikered) journal Hypertension found that men and women at all blood-pressure levels benefit from regular running and other aerobic activity, including those with hypertension. Just 3040 minutes of jogging several days a week can help prevent or reduce hypertension.

13. Dat ass!

To celebrate reaching the halfway point, heres a cheeky fact for you: running activates your glutes, making it one of the fastest and most painless routes to a lifted and more toned butt. (Do stop pretending you dont want one.)

14. Moving scenery

Working out in the gym can be like starring in the most boring movie ever made. The sweaty, grimacing weightlifter. The woman glued to the cross-trainer. The televisions permanently tuned to depressing, rolling news channels. Well, outdoor running offers a gripping, rolling nature documentary of imagery to keep your enthusiasm flowing.

15. Healthier heart

Want to improve your circulation and reduce the risk of a heart attack, high blood pressure and strokes? Running for just an hour each week can lower the risk of heart disease by almost 50 per cent.

16. Everyday advantage

As you go about your daily business you will be thankful to be a runner. Late for a train? Catch it without losing your breath. Ascending a steep staircase with colleagues? Smile magnanimously as you reach the top before everyone else. Playing with your kids in the park? Show up the wheezing parents around you.