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Running in new places slows aging and improves overall well-being.
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Variety in the course stimulates the mind and reduces the risk of falling into routine.
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Nature enhances the benefits of running through its positive effects on the mind and body.
Ifyou run regularly, you probably do it to feel good, improve performance or simply stay fit. Building on a theory and its application, a study at Edith Cowan University in Australia has made an interesting discovery. Before we get there, however, a brief introduction to Entropy Theory is necessary.
Fear not: we are not about to tell you about physics. This is about something simpler that you may have already experienced: has it ever happened to you when you travel that you have a different perception of time? A week on the road feels like a month compared to how the same amount of time appears to you in your usual life. The reason is explained by entropy theory.
The theory
The entropy theory we are talking about is one applied to personal experiences and says that greater variety and unpredictability in daily life can promote well-being and improve mental and physical health.
Why is it called “entropy theory?” The reason is that in physics, entropy measures the degree of disorder or randomness in a system but when bringing this concept into the realm of human experience, entropy represents the richness and diversity of stimulation, that is, the opposite of the repetitiveness and predictability of daily life, which is often defined by monotony and boredom.
Applying this theory to personal experiences, the result is that new situations, environments, or activities can increase the “complexity” with which the mind is confronted, thereby enriching personal growth, adaptability, and ability to cope with stress.
You can experience this by changing running routes, visiting places you have never explored, or learning to do new things. The more numerous and varied experiences you have, the more you stimulate your mind and body in ways that produce well-being. More research confirms this. An article published in Frontiers in Psychology showed that changing routes or playing different sports improves cognitive function and motivation. Moreover, research from the University of Michigan found that spending time outdoors, especially in natural environments, reduces stress levels and improves mood. Running in new environments can therefore be seen as a form of “natural therapy” to slow aging.
In practice
Such an approach serves to stimulate the mind, as it activates the brain, improving cognitive abilities and preventing aging-related decline. In short, it is a training for the mind, which you can do by training the body as well! The idea is that new experiences generate new neuronal connections, increasing brain plasticity. And that’s not all: changing the scene in which you train also reduces stress related to monotony, which can lead to a feeling of “automaticity” and dissatisfaction, while the unexpected and novelty keep the mind engaged and curious.
Motivation is also strengthened, since this attitude responds to a natural human tension, namely that of seeking new experiences for the pleasure of experiencing them. Since these are new experiences, the brain is more stimulated to try them.
How to practice it in running
If you are used to always running along the same path, it is obvious that you may not immediately grasp what running has to do with entropy theory. If, however, you think that running is an activity you can do anywhere, perhaps you have begun to get a sense of what we are aiming for. Running in different and “new” places produces the very experience we are talking about, since it stimulates the brain and keeps it much more active than the usual route would.
You don’t have to go on a trip to trigger this mechanism: just explore a new street in your neighborhood or run in a different park. Variety stimulates the mind and makes physical activity more interesting, counteracting the risk of falling into a routine that might become boring or less effective. That’s why active tourism (i.e., that which involves exploring new places by running, or biking) is the ideal way to seek new stimulation all the time. Which may also translate into changing the routes you usually take, perhaps making running outings more fun, but in the long run it could also improve your physical and mental resilience against the signs of time.
And if you don’t travel, what can you do?
It’s not like we can all take a day to go running to new places all the time, right? The good news is that you don’t have to go far. You could run in a place, country or city not that far from where you live. Or you could regularly amble the route of your runs. You could even sign up for a race in another city or explore new areas with a group of people with a good spirit of adventure, those who always prefer the unfamiliar path to the known one.
Although it might seem like a small change, the repetition of small changes can have a big impact in the long run. And if you always run in your city, don’t underestimate the power of nature: in short, try to run in its parks. Running in green spaces has other benefits than exercising in urban environments. Even better if you live close to nature, because trees, water or hills offer visual and mental stimulation that can increase the pleasure of physical activity.
(Via The Manual)