Everyone ran and I ran: why did running become so popular?

“Six in the morning, I wake up even without an alarm clock, I get up for a run every day, I can’t do without it,” says 42-year-old manager Dmitry. “I started by accident, for the company of a friend, and never stopped.” Running, athletics and walking are noticeably ahead of other physical activities (fitness, skating, skiing, cycling and swimming)¹. And the stories of avid runners are similar: I tried it, and it sucked. But why is it dragging on?

Just like gods

The simplest explanation for the popularity of running is its accessibility: a pair of running shoes is enough for jogging, and you can do it anywhere. Races are compatible with holidays and travel – marathons are held all over the world. There are free running clubs where you can train with a trainer. In addition, running and walking are the most natural physical activities for us, they do not require special training.

“Our ancestors in ancient times were in constant motion: they hunted, gathered herbs, berries, roots, conquered territories,” says Vita Malygina, a clinical psychologist, psychodramatherapist and running fan with 40 years of experience. “They caught up with prey, escaped from enemies, that is, they often ran a lot.”

But you can look deeper, into the collective unconscious: “If we look at running from the point of view of Jungian analysis, we will remember two Greek gods, Artemis and Hermes,” the psychologist continues. – The archetype of the first – the goddess-huntress, running through the forests with nymphs, is associated with a woman’s desire for freedom and independence. The archetype of the second – the owner of the winged sandals of the god of roads and crossroads – awakens in us the spirit of entrepreneurship and research.

Perhaps the surge in running fashion suggests that it is precisely these needs that are strong in us now?

Euphoria is innocent

“I ran a distance of 4 kilometers 200 meters and at the finish line I experienced an incredible emotional lift, there was a feeling that I was ready to hug the whole world,” recalls 35-year-old Anastasia, a PR specialist. Runners describe this state in different ways, someone compares it with a slight intoxication, someone with a feeling of omnipotence. The desire to experience it again and again motivates runners.

But isn’t any physical activity giving such an effect? During active movement, the level of the stress hormone cortisol decreases, the brain is better supplied with oxygen due to increased blood circulation, the body produces endorphins, thanks to which we feel less pain and experience spiritual uplift.

All true, but there is a significant difference: in order to achieve this pleasant state in other sports, intensive training is required. And in order to experience the euphoria of a runner, the best is the average pace – jogging. And there is no need to torture yourself: a super-intensive jog is comparable in effect to slow walking.

David A. Raiklen, professor of biological sciences at the University of Southern California, came to such conclusions after a series of experiments. He explains this phenomenon by the work of endocannabinoids (neurotransmitters that, along with endorphins, provoke a state of euphoria). Their levels increase significantly when jogging². True, ten minutes is not enough, the run should be long.

And no problem

“I run in the evenings,” says 37-year-old Anna, “it helps to switch off from acute problems right away, and at the end of the workout, everything that happened during the day doesn’t bother me at all.” And 46-year-old IT specialist Vasily claims that while running, he thinks better: “The brain works in free flight mode. When I need to plan something, make a decision, I put on my sneakers and go outside.”

Supporters of running assure that there are no problems that could not be solved with the help of this sport. But how does it work? “Running is a rhythmic movement in which the whole body is involved,” Vita Malygina explains this phenomenon. – We not only get a cardio load, but also learn to equalize breathing. Together with well-established rhythmic movement, all this naturally brings us into a state of calm. Running is a variant of dynamic meditation.”

The state of mind and body working in harmony is also called “flow”. This term belongs to the American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He says that running “provides opportunities to experience the state of flow in different conditions and with a high degree of frequency.

A flow state usually occurs when you believe you have the ability and skills to get out of a difficult situation. Your perception of time is distorted as you narrow your focus on the task at hand. You are so intently focused on it that all third-party thoughts and anxieties disappear.³.

Come and stay

So, it’s worth a try. But it should also be borne in mind that not everyone remains on the run. And it’s not always about medical indications, although they also matter.

“My personal theory is that if you tried three times and didn’t get hooked, it’s just not what you need,” Vita Malygina continues. – There is a scene in the film “The Adjuster”: the heroine of Renata Litvinova tells how she went to a sports club and she did not like it there, because “everyone is so sweaty.”

She asked if there was anything less mobile, and she was sent to the chess club. Not everyone is ready for the fact that running is not easy. Many beginners face the “expectation and reality” syndrome.

From the outside, everything is beautiful: slender runners are approaching the finish line, there is a joyful smile on their faces and not a shadow of fatigue. But this is the result of the ability to overcome your discomfort and long hard training.

“Many people see it this way: they took it and ran. And in this case, you need to be a little boring, ”continues Vita Malygina. “Running requires a certain amount of consistency. Before you buy branded sneakers, shorts, glasses, so that everything is at the highest level, keep in mind that for the first time you can run beautifully in just 15-20 minutes. After a week of training in this mode, you can add another five minutes.

And only after three months, gradually increasing the training time, you can set yourself serious tasks, for example, a marathon. Impatient beginners disregard the rules and set themselves an impossible task, because the feasible one looks unattractive to them. For example, the first time they run for about an hour, they get tired, complain about pain in their knees, shortness of breath or something else, and eventually give up running, believing that this is not for them.

It happens that we are carried somewhere by the wind of fashion. But fashion is fleeting, and for a long time only what is really valuable and necessary remains. And, as practice shows, if you once, no matter for what reason, fell in love with running, even after a break you will definitely return to it.

¹ According to VTsIOM. More details on the website: https://wciom.ru/analytical-reviews/analiticheskii-obzor/sportivnaja-rossija

² K. McGonigal “The Joy of Movement” (Mann, Ivanov and Ferber, 2021).

³ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi “Running in the stream. How to enjoy sports and improve performance” (Mann, Ivanov and Ferber, 2018).