Wednesday, October 18, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
19
Running commentary
home to a variety of wildlife,
many tall trees, and relative
Correspondent
tranquility. A pair of work-
I certainly believe that ers acknowledged me with a
running is good for the body, wave as I headed around the
but the mind and soul as well. three-mile loop. My image
As a high schooler, run- looked small reflected on of
ning was training for racing the large filter ponds with the
and I gave little thought to its blue sky overhead and maple,
other benefits. I believe that I oak and fir trees as a back-
was a senior on the onset of drop. I recall feeling absorbed
adulthood when I first began into the scene and experienc-
to recognize that running ing a real sense of peace and
provided much more than satisfaction.
the ability to run a fast 3K or
Living in Sisters for the
complete a marathon.
past 23 years with a national
Between seasons of cross- forest outside my back gate
country and track most of my I have enjoyed the luxury
running was done solo since of access to nature, which
there were no organized prac- I believe plays an equally
tices in the winter months. important role as the run-
The relatively mild tempera- ning. As life became more
tures in the Willamette Valley complex, with demands of
and shortened days meant raising children, working as
long runs after school often a school counselor, and navi-
concluded near sunset, but gating personal challenges, I
those rare days without cloud recognized more deeply than
cover allowed for a few extra ever the therapeutic impact of
minutes of daylight.
running.
On one of those clear
I believe that most people
days late January I headed who have been runners for
out toward Stayton Island, an any length of time agree that
area east of town that afforded the benefits go far beyond
natural surface and no traffic the strengthening of muscles
since the site was managed and improvement of the car-
for the City of Salem’s water diovascular system. As I
supply. As a semi-restricted have grown older and slower
area, Stayton Island was my priority has switched to
By Charlie Kanzig
running for the mental health
benefits and not being able
to run as much the past two
years has been a loss to me.
Rima Givot, a runner
since high school, believes in
the power of running.
“When I get out for a run I
feel the stress flow off of me
in layers, which allows me
to clear my mind and feeling
healthier,” she said. She now
shares her love of running
with others through coach-
ing cross-country at Sisters
High School. “I want them
to have the gift of running as
a healthy lifestyle the rest of
their lives.”
I have read a lot of
research on this topic that
confirms my own experi-
ence. Multiple studies show
that running can significantly
reduce stress, increase men-
tal sharpness, alleviate anxi-
ety, and even be used as an
effective therapy for clini-
cal depression. Runners also
report improvement in sleep
quality, creativity, and even
self-esteem.
The
American
Psychological Association
(APA) has also concluded
that the benefits of exercise
for mental health are unde-
niable. An article by Kirsten
Weir for the APA stresses that
exercise has an immediate
positive effect on mood and
that mental health workers
are increasingly prescribing
exercise as part of patients’
wellness plan in therapy.
Being surrounded by
nature here in Sisters plays a
significant part in the quality
of our health. Most exercise
produces the release of hor-
mones known as endocan-
nabinoids, which are respon-
sible for what runner’s some-
times experience as a “high,”
but spending an hour on a
treadmill or elliptical does not
appear to have the same depth
of effect as getting outside.
Running in the woods can
be compared to the Japanese
practice of “forest bath-
ing,” which is the practice of
spending time in the woods in
order to cleanse the mind and
renew the soul.
After eight years of study
starting in 2004, Japanese
researchers concluded that
the health benefits of being
out in the forest had such
positive benefits that the gov-
ernment of Japan installed 48
“therapy trails” in the country
as a result. Studies in Japan
showed conclusive evidence
that even moderate exercise
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PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG
Running is good for the body — but
maybe even more beneficial for
mind and soul.
among the trees increased
the body’s immune system,
among other benefits.
A study by Japan’s Chiba
University concluded that,
“Forest environments pro-
mote lower concentrations
of cortisol, lower pulse rate,
lower blood pressure, greater
parasympathetic nerve activ-
ity, and lower sympathetic
nerve activity,” the study
concluded.
Walking, jogging, and
running clearly is good for
improved mental health, but
taking the practice out into
the woods apparently weaves
in even more profound
results, giving us all another
great reason to hit the trails
here in Sisters Country.
