7 Ways Running Helps Me Live My Best Life . .“ I don ’ t run to add days to my life , I run to add life to my days . ” ~ Ronald Rook . Growing up , I was always a bit on the tubby side , or , as my mum would say , “ stocky . ”. Old and grainy camcorder footage from the early nineties shows me at four years old , waddling sassily around the garden naked on a summer ’ s day . Watching the nostalgic home footage recently , I thought to myself , “ Wow , I had a beer belly long before I began drinking beer . ”. Apart from a couple of years playing football in my teens , competitive sports and exercise were not a huge part of my life — unless we count the frequent visits to the Chinese buffetswith friends , when things got competitive as we shovelled down plate after plate to see who could eat the most . . Last year , however , after an inspiring conversation with a keen runner , my sedentary days were over . . The man was in his forties and an ultra - runner — meaning he ran distances greater than a regular marathon ( 26 . 2 miles ) . I became curious as he told me about a recent 100 - mile running event , and wondered to myself , why would you put yourself through that , by choice ? What does one get out of this running malarkey ? . Having well and truly caught the running bug , I can now say I get it . . It ’ s well known that running is beneficial to our health and fitness , but I get so much more from the experience . Here are seven ways running helps me live my best life . . 1 . Through running , I take control from my mind . Wouldn ’ t you rather stay at home and watch Netflix ? You ’ re not built for running ! Who do you think you are , Forrest Gump ? Ah , the mind . On days I normally run , I can guarantee thoughts like these will surface , luring me to stay in my comfort zone so they can try and shame me later on for not running . Don ’ t get me wrong , there are days where the kind thing to do is to cancel a run — if I ’ m hurting physically or it ’ s too hot — but that ’ s not usually why I encounter internal resistance before and while running . C ’ mon , that ’ s fair enough for today , my mind whispers . “ No , we ’ re digging deeper and going further , ” I reply . Our minds will always try to hold us back , but we don ’ t have to act on every thought . We can become more aware of when our mind is attempting to limit us , and , if we want to , dig deep and keep moving forward . . 2 . Running reminds me that the hardest part of any worthy pursuit is just starting . Once I ’ m outside and running , the initial resistance disappears , and I just get on with it . I ’ ve never , after two minutes of running , turned around and headed home . This speaks to an interesting truth — so often in life , the hardest part of any worthy pursuit is just starting . If you want to write a book , the hardest part is sitting down to capture those first few words . If you need to initiate a difficult conversation , the hardest part is finding the courage to say , “ Hey , we need to talk . ” On days when my mind creates resistance and begins a battle , I gently remind myself the hardest part is putting my running shoes on and heading out the door . once I ’ m through the door , I ’ ve won the battle — and I almost always enjoy myself . . 3 . Running reminds me to keep my head up and keep moving forward . A few weeks ago while on a run , exhaustion suddenly hit me . My head dropped . My pace slowed , and my legs felt like they were stuffed full of lead . A feeling of dread slowly sunk through my body as I imagined the distance I was yet to cover . I knew , though , I was hitting “ runner ’ s wall , ” and remembered the Navy SEAL ’ s 40 percent rule — that even though I briefly felt exhausted , I ’ d only reached 40 percent of my potential . I took a deep breath before slowly raising my head up so my eyes were no longer looking at the ground . I was now looking straight ahead , my eyes fixed on where I wanted to go , the path ahead . Inside my head I repeated , “ Left , right , left , right , ” over and over again , commanding my feet . And then I ran . When life hits us hard , it ’ s normal for our heads to drop down , but we can ’ t let them stay down . Moving forward may seem impossible , but eventually there comes a day when we have to dig deep and find the courage to take a step forward , no matter how small . As Winston Churchill said , “ When you ’ re going through hell , keep on going . ”. 4 . Running helps me appreciate my body . Sadly , the media pushes down our throats what a “ perfect ” body looks like , and most of us don ’ t have it . As a result , many people view exercise as a punishment . A punishment for being out of shape or for eating overeating the day before . Exercise of any form needn ’ t be a punishment . In fact , we can view it as a celebration of our body as it is . When I finish a run , I thank my body for a job well done . I ’ m fortunate enough to have good health and a functional body , a blessing not everyone has . A friend of mine suffers from a chronic health condition , and although his body is extremely limited compared to most , he ’ s chooses to live life being appreciative of what his body does enable him to do . For example , he can ’ t finish long hikes , but he ’ s grateful that he can walk at all — and that he has friends who ’ ll carry him the rest of the way when he has to stop . . 5 . Running emphasizes the importance of rest and recovery . Since running , I ’ ve become kinder to myself and more accepting of my need to take time to rest and recover . once home from a run , I normally do some light stretches before taking it easy for the rest of the day , because I ’ ve learned that I need to give my body a break or it will eventually break down . I used to believe rest and recovery made we weak and it was in someway honorable to keep myself busy all day , every day . I now believe there ’ s a time to push ourselves while in doing mode and a time for simply being , and both are equally important to our overall well - being . . 6 . Running has taught me that what I consume makes a difference . Since starting to run , I ’ m now far more aware of what I ’ m consuming , both physically and mentally . I feel the difference when I ’ ve been eating well and am hydrated versus when I run on a belly full of junk food and dehydrated . What we put into our mouth really matters . I believe it also matters what we put into our heads — the types of media we consume . I once spent an entire forest run on high alert , looking over my shoulder ever second step . Why ? Before leaving home , I ’ d read a local news item about a Puma that had escaped from a zoo 100 miles away . Although logically I knew it was highly unlikely I ’ d cross paths with this runaway Puma , it didn ’ t stop my mind from freaking out at every rustle in the bushes . On the hand , when I read or watch an inspiring story before leaving home , I notice a spring in my step and feel empowered as I run . If the media I consume affects my life ( either positively or negatively ) in the short - term , just imagine the affect is has in the long - term . What we consume matters . . 7 . Running reminds me of what ’ s possible . Perhaps the biggest way running helps me to live my best life is through showing me what is possible . I can now run farther than I ever thought I could , way further than my doubtful inner critic would have predicted . I ’ ve gone from being someone who would rarely ( and barely ) run to someone who runs several times per week . Most of all , I ’ ve gone from being someone who hated even the thought of running to someone who looks forward to and , dare I say , loves , running . And if I can transform into a runner , just imagine what else I can do . . Do I think running is for everyone ? No . . However , I do believe that everyone can find something to feel passionate about and to be inspired by . A hobby or interest that will not only add more depth to your life but will help you to live your best life . . About Will AylwardWill helps people around the world to feel more confident , calm , and fulfilled , without them having to fake it . He is the author of Becoming Unstuck : Your Step by Step Guide to Taking Charge of Your Life . Learn more at willaylward . com .