Running is My Therapy, by Scott Douglas

Just about any runner will tell you that running makes them feel good.  I know that I feel better, in my body and in my mind, when I run regularly.  In case non-runners need convincing, or if runners need affirmation, Scott Douglas has the answer.  In Running is My Therapy: Relieve Stress and Anxiety, Fight Depression, Ditch Bad Habits, and Live Happier, Douglas not only gives anecdotal evidence of the benefits of running, but reviews the hard science behind it as well.

With a spirit of openness, honesty, and a desire to help others, Douglas talks about his own struggles with depression, and the role that running has had in helping him cope.  Based on his own experiences, as well as a wide range of interviews and medical research, Douglas discusses the impact of running on mental health.  Several points stand out. 

• Doctors in some countries actually prescribe running before turning to pharmaceutical solutions for depression.
• The health of the brain is improved by running.
• Running actually promotes the growth of new brain cells.
• Running promotes better memory and creativity.
• Some benefits of running can be found in other forms of exercise, but running is the best.

The curious reader, or the medically or scientifically inclined reader, will find plenty to pursue in Douglas's source material.  Perhaps some will be inspired to replicate or expand on the cited studies.  Runners who read Running is My Therapy will find plenty of motivation here to lace up their shoes and go for a run.  Their mental health depends on it.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!