Sample essay for research paper

Dr. Randall

English 1101

23 April 2012

The Effects of Running On Mental Health

On your way to work, do you ever see that same crazy runner every day, rain or shine, religiously running down the sidewalk? Do you ever wonder, what in the world could possibly motivate a person to do such a thing? Hopefully, the research conducted in this study will provide some insight into why runners seem to remain so passionate about their sport. The study will be conducted primarily on members of the Carpet Capital Running Club and will focus on two different questions. First, how does general mood, on non-running days, compare to mood on running days? And, second, has overall quality of life improved since adding running to a daily routine? Also, the researcher will observe himself over one week and answer a series of questions to look for trends on running versus non-running days. The researcher believes that running can improve daily mood and energy levels and also lead to improvements in overall quality of life. It make sense that the benefits of running can boost self-confidence and lead to better physical and mental health.

Depression and anxiety are the most common psychiatric conditions seen in the general medical setting, affecting millions of individuals in the United States (Carek 2011). Due to the rising cost of health care and the astronomical price of most mental health medications, health care professionals are scrambling to come up with alternative methods of treatment. The Department of Family Medicine, at the University of South Carolina conducted a study on exercise for the treatment of depression and anxiety and discovered that physical activity has been shown to be associated with decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety (Carek 2011). Physical activity has been consistently shown to be associated with improved physical health, life satisfaction, cognitive functioning, and psychological well-being (Carek 2011). Exercise compares favorably to antidepressant medications as a first-line treatment for mild to moderate depression and has also been shown to improve depressive symptoms when used as an adjunct to medications (Carek 2011). Getting people active needs to be a more common practice among health care professionals. Individuals need to take a more pro-active role in improving their mental health and quality of life. Prescription medicine should be a last resort, not a first line of defense. Dr. Kenneth Fox, from the Department of Exercise and Health Sciences at the University of Bristol, in the UK, concludes that sufficient evidence now exists for the effectiveness of exercise in the treatment of clinical depression (Fox 1999). Additionally, exercise has a moderate reducing effect on state and trait anxiety and can improve physical self-perceptions and in some cases global self-esteem (Fox 1999). The benefits of running aren’t just for individuals who are suffering from some sort of depression or anxiety. People who are generally healthy can also reap the rewards of an exercise program. For healthy individuals, the principal psychological benefit of exercise may be that of prevention, whereas in those suffering from mild to moderate emotional illness, exercise may function as a means of treatment (Sports Medicine 1990). Exercise can be an easy way to maintain good mental health.

Another argument is that running can improve how people conceive themselves on a physical level. In most cases, adding exercise to a daily routine will improve not only physical health, but also the shape and form of the body. Looking better can boost self-confidence and self-esteem. It can even lead to better job performance. Research conducted by the American Psychological Association suggests that physical fitness training leads to improved mood, self-concept, and work behavior (Folkins 1981). Those who are in better shape can handle physical labor more efficiently. Furthermore, people who are in good mental health can better deal with the everyday stressors of their careers.

The first method of research was in the form of a survey posted on the Carpet Capital Running Club’s Facebook page (“Effects”). The questions were designed specifically for people who are active runners, so a running club was, naturally, the ideal place to draw participation. The survey was broken in to two parts: the first was a series of questions pertaining to quality of life since adding running to a daily routine; the second was rating, from one to five, the specific emotions the subjects felt on running, and non-running days. The quality of life questions were given a choice of answers which included either a positive result, negative result, or no change. The second method used was performed on the researcher by himself (Haigler). Over a seven day period, the researcher rated his quality of life, from one to five, on each day. Of the seven days, five were running days and two were non-running days. The quality of life factors that were rated included: overall mood, energy level, stress level, and diet.

Amazingly, almost all subjects who completed the survey, “Effects of Running on Quality of Life”, said that since adding running to an everyday routine, quality of life has improved. The exception was one person, out of fifty-three, who said that, in general, quality of life has declined after exercise was added. The major trend seems to be that health improved on a number of different levels. For instance, over seventy-five percent of the subjects interviewed said that, since adding running, they: sleep better, eat healthier, have more energy, are less stressed, and have an improved self-concept on the way they look (“Effects”).

Figure 1: Fifty-three subjects were asked seven questions. Since adding running to your daily routine:

Furthermore, on actual days that people run, over eighty percent of the subjects feel more rested, relaxed, happy, and content. The survey reflects the exact opposite on the days the subjects did not run (“Effects”).

Figure 2: On a scale of 1 (least) to 5 (most), on running days, how do you feel?

Figure 3: On a scale of 1 (least) to 5 (most), on non-running days, do you feel?

The survey reflected that positive emotions are, for the most part, in direct correlation with running or getting exercise in general. The positive effects of exercise seem to be quite obvious.

Secondly, the researcher used himself as a subject. Over a seven day period, a record was kept which reflected diet or eating choices, stress level, energy level and overall mood. Running and non-running days were also recorded. The researcher rated the choices on a scale of 1 to 5, with one being extremely poor and five being exceptional (Haigler).

Figure 4: Rate quality of life on running and non-running days:

Once again, there is an obvious trend on days the subject did not run. All evidence continues to point in the direction of running being a natural boost to quality of life. An interesting side note is that running, for the subject in figure 4, actually made a difference in the choices of food he ate. Eating choices on running days were consistently better than the ones made on non-running days. Also, the researcher found that it took a few days to recover from the lows of non-running days. The numbers typically bottomed out on days with no exercise and then slowly climbed with each consecutive running day.

In conclusion, the research found the results of the test to be as expected. Running has been proved to enhance quality of life on many different levels. However, if a person wants to reap the benefits of exercise, then they need to be willing to be more pro-active in improving their own lives. After all, exercise is not a pill that can be prescribed. For many, running can be the first in a series of good and healthy choices. The evidence suggests, and suspicions were confirmed, that running can be the catalyst for better health in all areas of life.

Works Cited

Carek, PJ, SE Labstain, SM Carek. “Exercise for the treatment of depression and anxiety.”

PMID. Vol. 41. 1. (2011).

“Effects of running on quality of life.” Facebook survey. Surveymonkey.com. (April 2012.)

Folkins, Carlyle H., Sime, Wesley. “Physical fitness training and mental health.”

American Psychologist. Vol 36. 4. (1981).

Fox, Kenneth. “The influence of physical activity on mental well-being.”

Public Health Nutrition. Vol. 3a. 411-418. (1999).

Haigler, Alan. “Personal observation.” (April 2012).

Raglin, JS. “Exercise and mental health.” Sports Medicine. Vol. 9. 323-9. (1990).