Can running combat dementia?

We are all aware that running can help us lose weight, improve our cardiovascular system and lower cholesterol, but it can also have a positive effect on our mental and social well-being too. According to TheRunningBug which lists the top 10 benefits of running, it also improves our mood and gives us opportunities to meet other like-minded runners.

I have started running as a way to pass time over the summer, but what I noticed as I approach my 40 minute boredom mark on the running machine was that I was feeling content. This time I had taken my mum with me who has recently become a fully-paid member of Horfield Leisure Centre. Before hand, I regret to say I may have been in a foul mood with her, mainly due to this boredom, partly due to her driving abilities. Nevertheless I was not in a talking mood. After we left and made our way out to the car, I felt back to my chatty self and slightly regretful for being moody, though I didn't let her drive home.

On TheRunningBug the is a link to an article on the snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan and why does running relieve depression? Ronnie O'Sullivan runs everyday, clocking up 50 miles a week. He admits he was on prozac when he won his first title but now running has become his therapy. Professor Lewis Wolpert, 78, too says that running has helped defeat his acute depression. "The standard story is that vigorous exercise increase the levels of endorphins in the brain and this gives one a sense of well-being, it also raises the heart rate which is good for us," says Mr Wolpert.

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