What should you think about when running?

An extremely interesting topic, considered by scientists to be a prerequisite for a beginner runner to overcome difficulties.

Keep positive thinking when jogging - Photo: TN

The brain is always active when jogging.

"When I run, I don't know what I think about. On cold days, I think a little about the cold. And on hot days, I think a little about the heat. When I'm sad, I think a little about sadness. When I'm happy, I think a little about joy."

That is what the great writer Haruki Murakami shared in his work "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running". Besides his illustrious literary career, writer Murakami is also a great runner.

But he also confessed that he always wondered what to think about when jogging.

Meanwhile, scientists offer more specific and accurate advice. Dr. Noel Brick, a sports psychologist at the University of Ulster (UK), has spent years researching the correlation between the brain and running performance.

Unlike many people's belief that the brain will be empty when running, Dr. Noel Brick said that when running, the brain is actually very active with the following mechanism:

Coordination of body movements (motor cortex).

Body state monitoring (insular cortex).

Processing of pain and fatigue (anterior cingulate cortex).

Make decisions, go or stop (prefrontal cortex).

Emotional regulation (amygdala).

In short, running is both a physical and a highly mental activity. And your thoughts are what directly regulate that entire nervous system.

What to think about when running?

After much research, Dr. Noel Brick gives advice on "positive thinking", which is the state of self-motivation while jogging.

It can be as simple as saying encouraging words to yourself in your head: "I can do it", or "keep trying, it will be done soon". This is also the advice given by marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge.

Why will positive thinking help you run better? According to Dr. Samuele Marcora (University of Kent), it is because positive thinking will bring the following effects:

-Activating the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex – helps increase executive function, pain control and decision making to overcome fatigue.

-Reduced activity of the amygdala (anxiety and fear center).

-Reduced perception of exertion – you feel less tired even though your heart rate remains the same.

Thinking positively while running will make your race more interesting and make it easier to overcome challenges - Photo: QUANG DINH

According to Dr. Brick, positive thinking doesn’t have to be about self-talk. It can also be about thinking optimistically, about the happy things in life.

On the contrary, negative thoughts (such as worrying about not being able to run, being afraid of the weather, worrying about work) will also make the body feel more difficult when running. Because when thinking negatively, the amygdala will be strongly activated, increasing anxiety and stress.

Negative thoughts can also cause excessive attention to pain/fatigue – this feeling will be amplified even when the body is not actually exhausted.

Negative thinking will also reduce hippocampus activity in the brain, affecting memory and motivation, or over-activate the sympathetic nervous system, causing rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing...

What goes through your mind while jogging is a very complex issue, depending on each person, their life and habits.

But according to advice from neurologists and psychologists, people who practice sports such as running, cycling, and long-distance swimming should try to keep their thinking positive.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nen-nghi-gi-trong-dau-khi-chay-bo-20250513180412281.htm