Live Q&A - Endurance Running: Training your Mind & Body for Victory

I hope you read in the latest Scientific American Mind, that exercise is the best way to treat and to prevent depression. A multitude of studies have shown exercise is much more effective than anti-depressants or psychotherapy, with no harmful side effects. Please let people know this.

Hello @gemma, @bibi12, @hals, @jhoffmanj, @ihatediabetes, and @llwortman.

We are hosting a Live Q&A about mental health, stretching, and cross training benefits of endurance running on Tuesday, December 13 at 1:30 p.m. CT. As you have recently discussed exercise, marathons, or training, you may be interested in participating by asking Dr. Narducci questions; Click View & Reply to see the details.

You do not need a Facebook account to be able to watch the broadcast. You can watch it right here on this page on Connect.
Please post your questions before the event, so we can give them to Dr. Narducci beforehand. You can also ask questions during the broadcast.

I wrote about hiking being my best mental health treatment. But I am not an athlete at all. I am hiking for mental health and diabetes. But I don't run marathons. I don't even hike fast. But I do go a lot. It is also helping me be peaceful. I think it helps my a1c too. But I am a mess, not an athlete. I am a mom. So it kind of makes me laugh that somebody would ask me for input on endurance running.

Hello jhatediabetes, I read your discussion regarding hiking and thought that even though you may not be training as an endurance athlete, your post about the mental health benefits of your hiking was relevant to this Live Q&A. I tagged you because I thought you had a great post about using hiking as a way of exercising for mental health and a way to gain peace. The stretching portion could also apply. You should not sell yourself short, it sounds like you are very motivated and active!

I should have clarified why I tagged you in my first post though, I do apologize for not making that clear @ihatediabetes.

Sounds good. I guess I thought endurance running was for elite athletes like people that do Ironman or marathons. I'm posting in caregiving too because I have experience with child with developmental disability. Lots of experience. I'm also posting in endocrinology because I got the Type 2 diagnosis. Plus I got the mental health history, probably related to non stop caregiving. But yes, I take my hiking quite seriously. I post photos of my hiking on the DNR website for state parks. I'm thinking of getting cross country skis since there's so much snow. Hiking is a place where I have found peace. So I certainly encourage people to hike for mental health, diabetes, and physical health. In my opinion, too many people are out there smoking, drinking, drugging, overeating, sleeping around, compulsive shopping in a futile effort to find peace. I think its better to go hiking and listen to running water, look at twigs, leaves, prairie grass, clouds, eat a granola bar, drink some water. And remember God. Then you can face tomorrow. Peace.