Running and Mental Health

Details: Category: Membership

The benefits of regular running have often been shown to go beyond just physical fitness. Our mental well-being is just as important as our physical condition - perhaps in some ways even more important.

Thankfully, over the last few years, mental health has become something that we are able to talk about. Everyone has mental health but some of us suffer from mental ill health which needs to be talked about, supported, and understood. It is nothing to be ashamed of and something that will often require help from professionals or sometimes just needs someone to listen. Listening is the most underrated level of support that each one of us can provide. Never judge what is going on ‘behind the smile’. Just do your best, be kind and keep an open mind.

Happily, at Harpenden Arrows we have a Mental Health Ambassador, supported by England Athletics. Jillian Russell is your club contact and is always available to offer you support or provide contact details for organisations that can help you. Please never feel as though you are on your own.

Over the years we have offered ‘Run and Talk’ and Walk and Talk’ events to encourage members to chat. It is so much easier to chat as you walk and with that in mind we have introduced ‘Walk on Wednesday’. Since the reintroduction of group training, we have provided a weekly walk. The idea behind this is to include all our Arrow’s membership. This walk encourages Arrows to get outside in the fresh air. Everyone can join, whether you are injured or not, it is lovely to spend an hour with a group of friends, just chatting. If you have not tried our walk, then give it a try!

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