\u201cRunning is a great equalizer. It is a place where people find common ground, face similar challenges, overcome similar obstacles, and achieve personal milestones,\u201d DeMatoff, the owner of a Chicago interior accent design and manufacturing company, tells Fortune<\/em>. \u201cWhen meeting runners and running together, age doesn\u2019t even enter the equation.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a valuable lesson he\u2019s learned through his involvement in the Chicago Area Runners Association<\/a> (CARA), a group he has been involved with since he decided to run his first marathon in 1995. Now he\u2019s the vice president, and believes strongly that running, when done with others, can be a particularly salient\u2014if surprising\u2014antidote to the loneliness<\/a> epidemic, currently affecting nearly 1 in 2 people in the U.S.<\/p>\n Because while running is by definition a solo activity, it can also be done with others\u2014which in turn brings layer upon layer of physical and mental health benefits.<\/p>\n U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy<\/a> called loneliness an \u201cepidemic<\/a>\u201d in May of 2023. <\/p>\n \u201cWe are called to build a movement to mend the social fabric of our nation \u2026 each of us can start now, in our own lives, by strengthening our connections and relationships,\u201d reads his advisory<\/a> on the healing effects of social connection and community. Those in running groups believe those are good places to start. <\/p>\n \u201cI think everyone is looking for new friendships as they go through life, and it can get harder as you get older,\u201d Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of the nonprofit New York Road Runners<\/a> (NYRR), tells Fortune.<\/em><\/p>\n In 1997, he trained for and ran his first marathon alone, and the experience was \u201cjust fine,\u201d he says. \u201cBut it was nothing like when I did it again years later on a team, and met people in the park to train with every day,\u201d he adds. That provided him both accountability and time to socialize, leading to a better time in his next marathon. But Simmelkjaer admits it\u2019s not really about the running for him.<\/p>\n New York Road Runners<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about the kind of people that you\u2019re going to surround yourself with,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019ll talk about your careers, your life stories, your family. But running is a nice common ground to have with someone else \u2026 You get something very different out of it when you\u2019re doing it with other people.\u201d<\/p>\n For starters, it\u2019s been long-established that running has many physical benefits\u2014doing so as little as five to 10 minutes a day<\/a>, for example, even at slow speeds, can significantly lower your risk of dying from heart disease<\/a>. It also has a positive impact on brain health. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine<\/a>, regular cardiovascular workouts, like running, can improve working memory and focus, plus boost mood.\u00a0<\/p>\n And a 2020 review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health <\/a>associated running with improvements in mental health, particularly in depression and anxiety disorders. The stress hormone, cortisol<\/a>, is released through regular exercise, which means running can also be a healthy way to regulate your stress response, according to a recent article<\/a> by Runner\u2019s World<\/em>. Running also helps trigger the release of endorphins, dopamine<\/a>, and serotonin<\/a>, all chemicals<\/a> that are often impacted by mental disorders.<\/p>\n Now add to all that the benefit of social connection<\/a>, which, according to the CDC, can help decrease the risk of heart disease by 29%, stroke by 32%, and dementia by a whopping 50%.<\/p>\n Research<\/a> from AARP Services, UnitedHealthcare and OptumLabs found in 2023 that moderate and high physical activity were associated with lowering severe loneliness and social isolation by up to 30%. Similarly, a 2023 study<\/a> showed that physical activity\u2014as long as it\u2019s something that brings enjoyment and is not overly difficult\u2014can decrease feelings of loneliness.\u00a0<\/p>\nWhy it\u2019s needed<\/h2>\n
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But why running?<\/h2>\n
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