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Recreational running offers a lot of physical and mental health benefits – but some people can develop exercise dependence, a form of addiction to physical activity which can cause health issues. Shockingly, signs of exercise dependence are common even in recreational runners. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology investigated whether the concept of escapism can help us understand the relationship between running, wellbeing, and exercise dependence.
[...] "Escapism is often defined as 'an activity, a form of entertainment, etc. that helps you avoid or forget unpleasant or boring things'. In other words, many of our everyday activities may be interpreted as escapism," said Stenseng. "The psychological reward from escapism is reduced self-awareness, less rumination, and a relief from one's most pressing, or stressing, thoughts and emotions."
Escapism can restore perspective, or it can act as a distraction from problems that need to be tackled. Escapism which is adaptive, seeking out positive experiences, is referred to as self-expansion. Meanwhile maladaptive escapism, avoiding negative experiences, is called self-suppression. Effectively, running as exploration or as evasion.
[...] The scientists found that there was very little overlap between runners who favored self-expansion and runners who preferred self-suppression modes of escapism. Self-expansion was positively related with wellbeing, while self-suppression was negatively related to wellbeing. Self-suppression and self-expansion were both linked to exercise dependence, but self-suppression was much more strongly linked to it. Neither escapism mode was linked to age, gender, or amount of time a person spent running, but both affected the relationship between wellbeing and exercise dependence. Whether or not a person fulfilled criteria for exercise dependence, a preference for self-expansion would still be linked to a more positive sense of their own wellbeing.
[...] "More studies using longitudinal research designs are necessary to unravel more of the motivational dynamics and outcomes in escapism," said Stenseng. "But these findings may enlighten people in understanding their own motivation, and be used for therapeutical reasons for individuals striving with a maladaptive engagement in their activity."
Journal Reference:
Frode Stenseng, Ingvild Bredvei Steinsholt, Beate Wold Hygen, Running to get "lost"? Two types of escapism in recreational running and their relations to exercise dependence and subjective well-being, Front. Psychol., 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1035196
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Barenflimski on Wednesday April 05, @08:00PM (12 children)
Can any of these "scientists" find me the perfect person? Show me the person that has no vice, that does everything perfect, lives till 120, never drank, smoked, saw porn or upset anyone.
All I read anymore when I see this stuff is a study about how various human beings deal with being human beings.
I don't care what they study, but the issue becomes this; at some point, some politician, interest group, or AI will gather these useless studies together, call them science, and dictate to you and me why what we are doing is bad, and why we would all be better off doing it their way.
It would probably be quicker and less work if we all just became Buddhists and realize that life on earth as a human is nothing but suffering.
What we should do is call these studies for what they are, which is the basis for our future AI overlords farming us like we're in the Matrix.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Thexalon on Wednesday April 05, @08:32PM
I'm reminded of a George Burns joke, when he was solidly in his elder years: "I drink like a fish, I smoke like a chimney, I chase women half my age. People tell me what my doctor says of this, and I tell them my doctor died 10 years ago!"
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday April 05, @08:39PM (2 children)
Ummm... based on what you wrote, why are you wagging your finger at the scientists?
Slashdolt Logic: "25 year old jokes about sharks and lasers are +5, Funny." 💩
(Score: 2) by Barenflimski on Wednesday April 05, @09:20PM (1 child)
I was simply making a comment on the state of the ridiculum of society anymore. Not wagging any fingers. Scientists do studies. Should I call them something else?
Man... I swear. One would think the shit we talk about around here was going to be law and we are all politicians.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday April 05, @09:25PM
Nah I think I read your remark a little differently than you intended. I understand now.
Slashdolt Logic: "25 year old jokes about sharks and lasers are +5, Funny." 💩
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday April 05, @08:46PM (4 children)
There are no perfect people.
We had a "running addicted" friend. She literally ran more than 60 hours a week, it was what she enjoyed doing and she had the freedom to do it, so she did it - and basically very little else. It was clearly an addiction, she "could stop whenever she wanted" - but didn't mind getting caught out in thunderstorms, didn't have time for many other things she "might like to do," and would run when injured because she "just felt terrible if she couldn't get out and run."
>at some point, some politician, interest group, or AI will gather these useless studies together, call them science, and dictate to you and me why what we are doing is bad, and why we would all be better off doing it their way.
This is a fact of life, and the mantle of "SCIENCE" means little because of it. Don't expect our publish or perish culture to change based on moral principles, given a large enough population of aspiring publishing scientists they will always publish whatever the journals will accept. Don't expect our grant hounds to turn down money because "it's morally questionable whether or not I should be producing biased research", it's the Andrew Dice Clay story: "Little Boy Blew, he needed the money."
There is good science out there, there is bad science out there, politicians, interest groups, AI and whoever else is going to cherry pick the evidence they like to back up their pre-conceived notions of what agendae they want to push. Then it's up to the counterpoint side to go and cherry pick better evidence against them - if anybody cares enough to drive the debate.
Transparency is always the answer: if you're going to use "SCIENCE" to back up serious arguments, the more transparent the sources, their funding, the adequacy and preponderance of research available on the topic, all should be included in the evidence of the argument. If all the opposition is showing you are a handful of articles from "The BEST journals" - keep digging, it takes surprisingly little money to get a half dozen seemingly independent papers to back up almost any position anyone might choose.
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://news.stanford.edu/2023/02/17/will-russia-ukraine-war-end
(Score: 3, Funny) by Barenflimski on Wednesday April 05, @09:22PM (3 children)
Maybe I should get addicted to running.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday April 05, @11:34PM (1 child)
She was happy up until her joints started failing in her 40s, now she walks all the time but apparently it's not as satisfying....
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://news.stanford.edu/2023/02/17/will-russia-ukraine-war-end
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 06, @01:25PM
Yeah running for hours is overrated unless you're running from enemies.
Walking for more than 6000 steps/day is healthy: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140612085120.htm [sciencedaily.com] ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4146701/ [nih.gov] )
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/walking-8200-steps-a-day-may-lower-your-risk-of-chronic-disease-study-finds [medicalnewstoday.com]
HIIT might be useful if you don't have the time but probably not as good for your knees: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/high-intensity-interval-training/ [harvard.edu]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 06, @11:06AM
I'd love to get addicted to running, however my bad back and arthritic knee aren't so keen on the idea and they would rather that I develop a pain medication addiction rather than practice Tai Fu (Tai Chi - but with added tea...)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 05, @09:26PM
Am engineer and innovative bicycle designer that I got to know was adamant on the topic of recreational running. When he saw a runner out on the road he usually said, "They are fleeing, that's not healthy...they should be cycling instead."
(Score: 4, Insightful) by corey on Wednesday April 05, @09:45PM (1 child)
I kinda agree with your sentiment. This reminds me of back in the 90s when it was all in the news that eggs were bad for you: they increased cholesterol and a bit later they were found to cause cancer. My parents, who ate eggs for breakfast, whinged about it all. Then a few years later the nutrition guidance was that what we’re back to being great for you, etc. In my life, everything seems to move around in circles, one minute it is bad for you and next minute it’s good for you. Chocolate and coffee, and wine, are examples. I know what I should eat and shouldn’t and I’m relaxed about it all. Worrying about it is bad for you.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 05, @09:53PM
> Then a few years later
I've been in and out of style for several cycles now. In college I had a beard and pony tail--low maintenance, lop some off when it gets to be annoying. Still do (but less hair on top now). Each style-cycle I paid less and less attention to what the style consultants had to say (usually my SO or female relative).