From personal experience, I started running to get rid of all the stress that life at university can give a student. The feeling whilst running is not the greatest - let’s be real everyone feels like they are dying - your dry throat, red skin due to awful winds in Newcastle, sweaty forehead with your veins pulsing at every step you take.
But the feeling after a run, that's the reason you always go back.
Running genuinely helps forgetting all the stress you have in your life
Don’t worry, I also thought runner's high was a myth, but I promise you it’s not. It might be your adrenaline or just the fact that you are almost fainting, but I would vouch for it to be one of the top feelings in the world.
Running genuinely helps forgetting all the stress you have in your life, it’s just you and your music, and it can really help reduce your anxiety or at least it helped me reduce mine. I do also think that the main reason so many people turn to cardio is because its free, and when looking at those outrageous gym membership prices in this economy it’s not surprising why so many people start to pick it up.
Another good thing that I think attracts people is the fact that most of the running community is super inclusive. You don’t have to do crazy distances to be a runner, 2 kilometres can be such an achievement for so many and it is supported by runners through run-clubs and social media.
So, when something is free, inclusive and helps reduce student anxiety are we surprised that so many people we know decide to take it up?