Everyone knows there are benefits to exercise. It’s one of the best things you can do for your body! In the CDC’s article, “Benefits of Physical Activity,” exercising manages weight, reduces the risk of disease, and overall betters your ability to do daily activities.

Exercise can also reduce anxiety and depression and improve self-esteem. Whether you like it or not, we all should exercise somehow. I prefer running, as it not only keeps me healthy physically but also mentally.

For the people reading who have no idea why I’d ever recommend running, I understand. I used to hate it as well, the constant lack of breath and sharp pains shooting at your sides are never enjoyable.

But this past year, I’ve grown to love it. As a high schooler, I have a full plate. Keeping my grades high, going to practices, finding time to spend with my loved ones, and everything in between. Not to mention the worries and self-consciousness I struggle with already.

It seems my troubles were similar to those felt by many Milton High students have as well, with “major increases in numbers of students reporting feeling anxious, depressed and even having suicidal thoughts,” according to the Milton Times in their article, “Youth Surveys Raise Continued Concerns for Students.”

It’s easy for stress and anxiety to take over during the school year and before this year I had no idea how to manage it.

When running earlier this fall, I would do it as if it was a chore. Fall sports had ended, and I would go home after school every day and do nothing. I ran because I felt like I needed to do something productive.

But there was one week when I was overloaded with stress. The unit my honors biology class was learning made no sense, I felt lost in math and had lots of homework from my other classes. My sister came home to me sitting at the dining room table, which was covered in all my schoolwork. That’s when she asked me if I wanted to go on a run with her. I contemplated it, knowing that I’d probably drop out at mile two, while she went on for three more miles, but I said yes anyway.

However, during that run, I didn’t stop at mile two, three, four or five. For the first time, I kept running, and it relieved me of the stress I had before. At the end, I sat on the steps to my house, feeling breathless but refreshed, as if someone had taken a heavy rock off my chest.

What I experienced during and after my run is called ‘runner’s high’, which according to Johns Hopkins Medicine in their article, “The Truth Behind ‘Runner’s High” is a short, relaxing, and extremely euphoric feeling after a strong or long run.

The article says as you continue to run, your body releases endorphins which stop your muscles from feeling pain, and produces endocannabinoids, which give feelings of calm and reduce anxiety.

Not only does running have good short-term effects, but also long-term. In the New York Times Article, “Even Short Distance Runs Have Major Health Benefits”, a research review discovered that when adults were suggested two and a half hours of working out every week they had a quarter percent lower threat of depression than the ones who weren’t exercising. Karmel Choi, a psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital says, “If someone were to start running even once or twice a week, instead of not exercising at all, that’s where we should see the most benefits.”

High school, along with life in general, is hard. Stress, anxiety, and insecurities can take control over you, especially during the school year. But in those times, sometimes it’s best to take a break from your work, step outside, and run.