On the worst days, finding time to fit in a run feels like just another item on the to-do list. On the best days, finding time to fit in a run feels like the perfect gift to give yourself.
About 14 percent of people regularly turn to exercise as a way to handle their daily stress, according to an online poll from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. And with good reason: Breaking a sweat naturally boosts a range of feel-good chemicals in the brain that can help combat even your sourest of moods.
Plus, it certainly doesn't hurt that many runners like to take things outside -- and the simple act of spending some time out in the open can curb stress and up happiness.
That's why we asked our Twitter followers to show us the beautiful backdrops of their regular runs. Here are a few of our favorites, because, as Brady Gervais so eloquently tweeted, "It's a beautiful day to be a runner."
@lthealthfitness 13 Bridges Loop on the Rockefeller Preserve #seenonmyrun #ltelite pic.twitter.com/V9hAsgQDNo
— Andrea Parziale (@Andrea_Parziale) August 11, 2014
Quick run before leaving L.A. this morning. Even got some friendly pittie love! #SeenOnMyRun pic.twitter.com/6vA1Az4el7
— Betty Rhoades (@bettyjoan) August 11, 2014
Stuff like this makes me wonder what they're up to. Nobody working on Sunday run day! #runchat #seenonmyrun pic.twitter.com/IvcLB4xnfp
— Small Town Runner (@Raina_runs) July 21, 2014
Absolutely LOVE runs like this...#seenonmyrun this morningNot far from my front door :) #roadtrip pic.twitter.com/jImshm489f
— Small Town Runner (@Raina_runs) June 23, 2014
Nice afternoon for a few (s)miles :)#LoveRunning #seenonmyrun pic.twitter.com/5V6Ap2uMfX
— Small Town Runner (@Raina_runs) June 19, 2014
This GPS Guide is part of a series of posts designed to bring you back to balance when you're feeling off course.
GPS Guides are our way of showing you what has relieved others' stress in the hopes that you will be able to identify solutions that work for you. We all have de-stressing "secret weapons" that we pull out in times of tension or anxiety, whether they be photos that relax us or make us smile, songs that bring us back to our heart, quotes or poems that create a feeling of harmony or meditative exercises that help us find a sense of silence and calm. We encourage you to visit our other GPS Guides here, and share with us your own personal tips for finding peace, balance and tranquility.