How to change your attitude about exercise

How often have you heard someone say they needed a jog to unwind after a busy day? There’s a reason why many of us tie on our sneakers, turn up the music, and work up a sweat while our heart rates skyrocket. I absolutely run to battle stress.

Running causes endorphins to be released into the body, which lowers tension and can provide a “runner’s high,” or the happy post-exercise condition that elevates mood. Running can help with attention and memory over time, and studies have linked exercise to a reduced risk of developing mental and physical sickness as well as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

However, a recent research that was released on Wednesday in the journal Frontiers in Psychology examines how adopting running to disengage from reality and smother unpleasant feelings might result in exercise reliance and a reduced sense of general wellbeing.

Escapism might help us better regulate our emotions since it is “a regular diversion of the mind … as an escape from reality or routine,” according to the study. The majority of individuals indulge in some form of escape every day, whether they watch a show online, play a game, listen to music, or work out. It can be exploratory and be used to get a richer, more complex understanding of a topic. It can raise motivation as well.

But there are two of them. The study’s author and psychology professor from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Dr. Frode Stenseng, warns against escapism’s darker side, which involves using activities to stifle unpleasant feelings and thoughts — in this case, fleeing from reality both physically and symbolically.

He tells Fortune, “You do something that is beneficial for your physical health, but it really ruins your mental wellness.” “You’re numbing your feelings,” she said.

Self-restraint versus self-expansion

Running as an escape is not necessarily dangerous, but according to Stenseng, “the thought of your escapist is more significant than the activity itself.” Whether you are using escapist for self-expansion or self-suppression, “you have to be mindful of the sort of emotion control tactics you bring into your activity,” is important to consider.

When you’re jogging, you’re more likely to be tuned toward self-expansion if you’re conscious of your surroundings and open to feeling however you may. When you’re running and exerting all of your mental effort to keep from thinking about unpleasant feelings, you’re more likely to be in self-suppression mode.

Nearly 230 runners of all abilities participated in the study, and they answered questions on their running goals, their dependency on exercise, and their general well-being.

The participants’ level of self-expansion was assessed by asking them if they believed that jogging made them more aware of their own characteristics or more receptive to new ideas. According to Stenseng, self-suppression is evident when participants felt more strongly associated with comments like “when I run, I want to escape from reality” or “when I run, I want to forget the bad things in my life.”

According to the study, running to suppress was most strongly linked to exercise dependency and was also linked to worse subjective well-being. Instead, self-expansion was more closely associated with a positive feeling of wellbeing than exercise reliance. Negative emotions are exacerbated by suppression, creating a dangerous cycle where carrying on only bury those emotions deeper. Even more so, exercise dependency may both cause and result in a decline in wellbeing.

It should come as no surprise that partaking in the activity that helps you escape might become addictive if you want to avoid dealing with your feelings. Running may result in physical injuries and mental health issues when someone who is dependent on it turns to the sport to mask more serious issues.

Research demonstrates that when you attempt to repress your bad emotions, you also inadvertently inhibit your pleasant emotions, according to Stenseng. You cannot stifle your bad emotions while allowing your pleasant feelings to develop.

According to Stenseng, people’s wellbeing increased the more they ran to become more conscious and present.

How can I strike a balance between fitness and entertainment?

The final line: Running or jogging is beneficial for us, but a few kilometers won’t magically make all of our issues go away. People can be more purposeful if they are more aware of the motivations behind using various escapisms, according to Stenseng.

He claims that we require all of these pursuits that allow us to delve deeper into ourselves or simply let our minds roam. “However, while you are doing this and using so much energy to merely attempt to push all your negative feelings and ideas away, you truly should stop running and deal with your problems… Why is this happening, we must question ourselves. Why are these customs and practices so crucial to culture?

Stenseng plans to do further research to determine more specifically how exercise reliance impacts wellbeing and how to alter escape-seeking behavior to encourage learning and growth rather than avoidance.

So the next time you go for a jog outside, try to be more aware of anything that could come up.