Busy mums will benefit from running or exercise to help them reduce stress and anxiety. Christina Collison explains.
The benefits of running for mental health are well documented. When I was the Editor of Women’s Running magazine, I met and spoke to many women who used running to help them manage their mental health as well as getting fit. It wasn’t just a case of running to lose a few pounds or feel fitter. While that was important for some, many women I spoke to enjoyed running because it helped them unwind and improved their mood, enabling them to combat stress. For many women, it helped them cope with the ups and downs of being a mum.
It’s hardly surprising that so many mums rely on exercise to reduce stress. Research from the University of Bath and the University of Melbourne released in 2024 showed that mums carry a lot of the mental load in the household. The research showed that 70 per cent of mums manage household tasks such as planning and organising tasks to keep the family household running well. In addition, it found that mums take on 79 per cent of daily jobs like cleaning and childcare. No wonder we’re burned out and stressed!
Encouragingly, research showed that working mothers who do exercise like running reported better mental health compared to those who were inactive.
There’s even online groups for mums who run including This Mum Runs – a supportive community where mums are encouraged to run to get moving, rather than focusing on speed or performance.
As a carer for my late mum, who had dementia, I found running a great source of comfort. Anyone who cares for a loved one with dementia will know that it’s a huge challenge, with unpredictable events occurring frequently. You have no idea from one day to the next whether your loved one will be having a good or bad day, and it’s hard to be prepared for all the challenges.
Being able to get out and run when I was feeling stressed made me a better carer. While it didn’t solve my problems, it improved my ability to deal with them. Even if I only had time for a ten-minute jog around the block, it would boost my mood. I felt better placed to cope with the challenges of being a carer.
Through the release of endorphins (feel-good hormones) running can help to reduce stress and anxiety. It also improves cognitive function which will help a busy mind juggle and manage tasks. Personally, I find it very calming.
If you’re tempted to start running but you think it would be too difficult, I’d advise you to start gently. You can download Couch to 5K, which is a great tool to help you get started. Couch to 5K is a free downloadable app created by the NHS to get more people active. It’s tailored for complete beginners. You start from scratch and build up over nine weeks to being able to run 5K or 30 minutes. The plan involves alternating between walking and running, so that you build up your fitness gradually without overdoing it.
Over the years I met and interviewed many people who had used it to start exercising who ended up getting hooked on running. Many went on to run 10Ks, half marathons and even marathons. While you don’t have to go that far, you will find it beneficial for getting fitter and easing your stress levels.
Of course, for many mums and busy women, time is limited. You may want to run to combat stress but feel stresed about fitting it in. So, what can you do? Here’s a few tips for busy women who want to run…
• Schedule it – get it into your diary like you would a meeting or appointment. Don’t tell yourself you’ll get round to it later. You won’t. Decide when you’re going to do it and stick to it. If you’re a morning person, doing it first thing before the rest of the family wakes up is ideal. If not, try doing it in the evening when the kids are in bed.
• Acknowledge the benefits – being active will mean you’re a calmer person to be around at home. Your kids and your partner will thank you for it!
• Lay out your kit – have your running kit at the end of your bed or in a place where you can locate it all easily. Make it as easy as possible for you to get dressed for running.
• Be flexible – have a rough weekly running schedule but don’t be a slave to it. Decide when you’re going to run and stick to it when you can, but if something goes wrong and you miss a day, don’t get demoralised give up. Just run again when you can.
• Don’t underestimate short runs – you don’t have to devote an hour to exercise every day. Short runs will offer benefits, especially for your mental wellbeing. A 15–20-minute jog around the block will boost your mood and improve your health in the long run.
• Make it comfortable – if running is too uncomfortable, you won’t want to keep doing it. While it may feel a bit challenging at first, there are things you can do to make it more sustainable. Take walking breaks if you need to. Choose comfortable kit. Make sure you have a high impact sports bra and a suitable pair of running shoes. I’d recommend going to a specialist running store like Runners Nee to have your gait (running style) analysed so that you have the right shoes for you.
• Be accountable – to improve your motivation, join a running group or tell a friend you’re going to commit to running a set distance or running regularly. Have someone to hold you accountable. That way, you’re more likely to stick to it.
• Try Race At your Pace – Another way to be accountable is to enter Race At Your Pace, a virtual online running challenge where you complete a set number of miles per month in your own time. At the end of the month, you get a medal to celebrate your achievement. Distances range from five miles per month to 300. Visit https://www.raceatyourpace.com/
• Join parkrun – parkrun is a series of 5K runs in local parks around the country. Chances are there’s one near you. They are free to enter, and you can get the whole family involved. Kids over the age of four can join in too so it’s a great way to get some exercise with your loved ones. Unless you prefer to do it without them to have your own time and headspace! Visit https://www.parkrun.org.uk/
More Information
Christina Collison is a writer and editor and the author of the books, The World Marathon Book and Run Yourself Fit. She is also the founder of Dementia Help, a website offering information and advice for dementia carers. Visit https://dementiahelpuk.com/