We are extremely lucky to know and work with some amazing health businesses. When you share common goals, approaches, ideologies and values, then collaboration and co-operation always delivers great results. Running coaches Enfer Running and Go Run Australia have supported nokkon with blog contributions, putting our ambassadors through training sessions and runs, providing coaching at our #getitdone club. Their passion, experience, knowledge and opinions continue to contribute to our own approach and innovation. They combine #thenokkoneffect in their ethical, passionate business activities. They have added value to what we can deliver to our runners. If you have personal running goals and dreams you need a solid, maintained, personal plan for, these are the guys to talk to. And if you make it down to a #getitdone club session you can usually try before your buy, experience them in action and have a chance to pick their brains.
Go Run Australia has previously contributed as special guests to our running form blog post on Head Position. This time they have written their own post with a truly original and fresh perspective on running health influence. We often look at how our own health benefits from our running, but what about those around us? Read on and enjoy this informative, refreshing and different take on running…
‘How does your running benefit the other people in your life?’
As a running coach, I often ask people why they run. For me, it is important to get to the root of why they run and why they are setting the goals that they are setting. It helps people to push through the miserable weather, the early mornings and the tough parts of race day itself. The answers that come back from runners are varied, but seem to focus on feeling better about themselves, feeling happier and being seen as a positive role model for their family.
Personally, I run to keep fit, de-stress, problem solve, be sociable, to challenge myself and much, much more. But all of my own reasons eventually lead to me being a happier and healthier person. That’s my real ‘Why.’ ** Small caveat here, that if I don’t eat or have a coffee pretty much straight away after I run, most of this happiness goes out of the window!! **
In fact, last week when the weather was still miserable in Melbourne, I went out for a run at 9pm. It was dark, cold and raining, and I ended up doing a cruisey 16km. Now to most people this is a sure sign of insanity, but did I feel better when I got back? Hell yeah!! Did I sleep better?? Hell Yeah!! Did I feel happier?? For sure.
Now, whilst that story may not be a surprise to you, things get really interesting when we start to look at the knock on effects of your running and happiness, particularly on the people around you.
A study called the ‘Framingham Heart Study’ was initiated in 1948 and basically looked at whether happiness can spread from person to person and whether niches of happiness form within our social networks. It found that happiness could spread from person to person, but more than that, that it could extend up to three degrees of separation (for example, to the friends of your friends’ friends).*
Even more interestingly, they found that “a friend who lives within a mile (1.6 km) and who becomes happy increases the probability that a person is happy by 25%.” Yes, you read that right….25%!!! Not only that, but “similar effects are seen in co-resident spouses, siblings who live within a mile and next door neighbours.”*
When the study then looked at people’s networks, they found that a person is 15.3% more likely to be happy if someone they are directly connected to is happy. The effect for the ‘friend of the friend’ is still 9.8% and for the friends of one’s friends’ friends it is 5.6%.*
In other words, happiness is contagious and we can all influence each other’s happiness, particularly if we live close to each other or are in the same network of people. To me, it is really reassuring that in a society that focuses so much on the individual health, wealth and happiness, it is great to know that your own happiness can positively impact someone else’s. So, if running makes you a happier person, you are directly influencing the happiness of the people around you by running. Just think of the effect that you are having, when you finish your next run with a genuine smile on your face! 🙂
At Go Run Australia, one of my objectives for 2017 is to challenge our thinking as recreational runners. By doing that, I really want us to get to learn more about our minds, bodies, our running and the effect all of this has. This article is just the start…. I certainly hope that my own running can spread a little happiness, positivity and useful learning and I am sure that your running can too.
I guess that’s #thenokkoneffect, right?!
Chris White
Recreational Running Coach
Go Run Australia
www.gorun.com.au
@gorunaustralia
P.S I would love to hear about your running and your ‘why.’ Feel free to email me at chris@gorun.com.au or come on over to www.gorun.com.au and sign up for my weekly blogs that chat all things recreational running. It’s free and I genuinely would love to hear from you.
P.P.S I want to dedicate this guest post to my sister, Abbie, who put me on to this idea and has had a profound knock on effect on me in the last few months. Well done for smashing that half marathon last weekend sis!
*For details of the Framingham Study see: British Medical Journal: http://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a2338
nokkon- Thank you Go Run Australia for a great read and insight into running benefits. You and those around you are setting the standard for selflessly living #thenokkoneffect and improving your community health, happiness and quality of life. Well done Abbie on smashing your goals, we are looking forward to seeing what is next for you.