Let’s talk about the latest trend: Run Clubs. Late nights with alcohol have been replaced by 5 a.m. morning runs, and “What’s your 5K time?” has become a more common question than “how many beers can you chug?”
So…what’s better than a late-night meet-up queue in a club for widening your social circle? A 10K run along the beach, sweaty and half-naked!
In recent years, the health and wellness industry has blown up: jewellery, makeup, and skincare lines are all using athletes to market their products. Why? Because sport is COOL. Being fit, healthy and able to walk up a flight of stairs and have a proper conversation at the same time is now trendy. Forget all the health benefits and longevity studies that for years have been encouraging people to exercise; Gen Z just needs to see one influencer on TikTok start a Run Club and suddenly everyone is grabbing their phones and scrolling to find the nearest park with a track.
So, bar simply jumping on a bandwagon, why join a run club? A runner’s high is no longer just a myth. More people than ever are feeling it. Running isn’t just a stress reliever, it is a natural mood booster. Running triggers the release of endorphins and endocannabinoids that make you happy, and really, isn’t that what everyone wants? When we live in an age where people spend thousands on therapy, purchasing a pair of trainers must be cheaper and what better way to increase your serotonin and dopamine than by going on a run? And what’s even better than running solo? Joining a Run Club and making some new friends!
Running also has this amazing ability to increase your body awareness. Ever worried that you are being followed? Worry no more; you can chuck out the pepper spray or relax the chest muscles… You now have increased stamina and the physical capability to run away (fast), all thanks to your newfound love of running.
Have you ever gone to the supermarket and forgotten what you needed to buy? Or thought that you had early-onset dementia? Well, fear no more; a solution is available. Take a guess – running. Running also improves memory. Scientific evidence suggests that running increases blood flow to the brain, supports hippocampal growth, and boosts levels of BDNF, a growth protein that helps maintain nerve cells and strengthens connections between them. So you won’t only make new friends; you will be able to remember all their names as well!!
Furthermore, aren’t we all trying to find our meaning in life? That’s why we go off backpacking around Asia, right? Well, I have a solution for you that doesn’t require you to go halfway across the world, carrying everything but the kitchen sink…running! Training for something gives you a sense of personal achievement… Two laps, 5K, 10K… marathon! From this comes a sense of meaning about what on earth we are doing; no longer feeling trapped in a hamster wheel, we are running free! Let’s be honest: no one really knows the meaning of life and the secret of those who look like they have it all figured out – they run.
Running isn’t just trendy; it also has a multitude of other physical health benefits I’ve not already mentioned: you create sturdier bones and your heart becomes stronger – so no more worrying about having a heart attack because the risk is diminished. Who wants to dig themselves an early grave – that I can tell you is something that won’t be trending on Instagram anytime soon. Running can also help regulate blood sugar and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. And finally, don’t we all want to look like Zac Efron or J-Lo, because what’s the number one thing to help with weight management? RUNNING! So come and join the SAIS run club. You never know, your new BFF might be waiting for you, all packaged up in snazzy Lycra!