Darren DeMatov, 57, made an interesting discovery several years ago: many of his close friends were 30 years younger. And then it dawned on him why: they met in a running group.
“Running is a great equalizer. It’s a place where people find common ground, face the same problems, overcome similar obstacles and achieve personal goals,” says DeMatov, owner of a Chicago-based interior accent design and manufacturing company. Luck. “When you meet runners and run together, age doesn’t even matter.”
This is a valuable lesson he learned while participating in Chicago Running Association (CARA). an epidemic of loneliness that currently affects almost every second person in the United States
Because while running is by definition a solitary activity, it can also be done with other people, which in turn provides multiple levels of physical and mental health benefits.
Why is this necessary?
US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called loneliness an “epidemic” in May 2023.
“We are called to create a movement to fix the social structure of our nation… each of us can start now, in our own lives, by strengthening our connections and relationships,” he reads advisory about the healing effects of social connections and community. The group members think this is a good start.
“I think everyone looks for new friends throughout their lives, and as they get older, that can get harder,” Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of the nonprofit. New York Road Runners (NYRR), says Luck.
In 1997, he trained for and ran his first marathon alone, and the experience was “just wonderful,” he says. “But it was nothing like when I did it again many years later in the team and met the people I trained with in the park every day,” he adds. This gave him both responsibility and time to socialize, which led to a better result in his next marathon. But Simmelkjaer admits that for him it’s not about running.
New York Road Runners
“It’s about what kind of people you’re going to surround yourself with,” he says. “You will talk about your career, your life stories, your family. But running is a good point of connection with someone else… When you do it with other people, you get something completely different out of it.”
But why run?
To begin with, it has long been established that running has many physical benefits. five to ten minutes a dayFor example, even at a slow speed you can significantly reduce your risk of death from cardiovascular disease. It also has a positive effect on brain health. In accordance with Johns Hopkins MedicineRegular cardiovascular exercise, such as running, can improve working memory and concentration, as well as improve your mood.
And a review of 2020 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Running has been linked to improved mental health, especially depression and anxiety disorders. According to a recent study, the stress hormone cortisol is released with regular exercise, meaning running may also be a healthy way to regulate your stress response. article To Runner’s World. Running also helps trigger the release of endorphins, dopamine and serotonin. all chemicals which are often affected by mental disorders.
Now add to all this the benefit social connectionswhich, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), can help reduce the risk of heart disease by 29%, stroke by 32%, and dementia by a whopping 50%.
Research AARP Services, UnitedHealthcare and OptumLabs found in 2023 that moderate to vigorous physical activity is associated with a 30% reduction in acute loneliness and social isolation. Likewise, 2023 study showed that physical activity—if it is enjoyable and not too difficult—can reduce feelings of loneliness.
If you are already one of 50 million Americans who exercise, make lifestyle changes, join a group or run with friends can be a simple but powerful antidote to loneliness.
“When you can breathe and get rid of feelings of loneliness, running is a saving grace,” says Shawanda Weems, 48, an English teacher and high school track coach in the Bronx. Luck. “It can free you. Running is an over-the-counter way to combat loneliness that is available to everyone.”
Shawanda Weems
Simmelkjaer says he knows people who have met spouses, close friends and mentors through NYRR, where it is typical to see CEOs working with early-career people of similar skill levels.
Weems would have agreed to this will. She says she’s witnessed how the track has brought her students closer together, and that she’s “cultivated long-term friendships with those same students as they grew up,” including Kiara Fernandez Chavez, 28. The couple ran the New York City Marathon together through the NYRR in 2016. and Weems says she wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for her friend’s motivation.
“At the time, I had no intention of getting her to suggest we go on this adventure,” Weems says. But finishing it together, she adds, was “one of the highlights of my adult life.”
This is just one testament to the power of running with others. “If you get into the right group, you will realize that races are a mechanism for bringing people together,” says Simmelkjaer. “And that’s really what we all need in life.”
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