You’re staring at the wall. Maybe it’s a Tuesday afternoon, the inbox is overflowing, and your brain feels like a browser with forty tabs open—half of them frozen. You’ve read the productivity hacks. You’ve tried the deep breathing. But honestly, the most effective thing you can do right now is probably the one thing you’re actively avoiding. You should just go on a run perhaps—NYT columnists and health researchers have been banging this drum for years, and they aren't just doing it to be annoying.
Running has a branding problem. We think of it as a grit-your-teeth, salt-stained endeavor involving expensive vapor-fly shoes and heart rates hitting the red zone. It doesn’t have to be that. In fact, for most of us, it shouldn't be.
The NYT "Slow Running" Shift
The New York Times Well section has spent a lot of time lately debunking the "no pain, no gain" myth. If you’ve seen the recent coverage on "Zone 2" training or the rise of the "Slow AF Run Club," you know the vibe is shifting. Martinus Evans, a prominent voice often featured in these circles, has flipped the script on what a runner actually looks like. It’s not about the six-minute mile. It’s about the fact that your body doesn’t actually care how fast you’re going; it just cares that you’re moving through space.
Biologically, running is a weirdly efficient reset button. When you’re stressed, your sympathetic nervous system is stuck in "on" mode. You’re ready to fight a bear, but you’re actually just sitting in a swivel chair. Running gives that energy somewhere to go. It’s a physical outlet for a psychological problem.
Why Your Brain Craves This Specific Stress
There is this thing called the endocannabinoid system. Most people associate it with cannabis, but your body produces its own versions of these chemicals, specifically anandamide. This is the actual source of the "runner's high," not just endorphins as we used to think. Research published in Scientific American and referenced in various NYT health deep-dives suggests that this blissed-out feeling is an evolutionary reward for persistence hunting.
Basically, we were built to cover distance.
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When you decide to go on a run perhaps, NYT science writers would tell you that you’re engaging in a form of "biophilia"—a connection to the outdoors that lowers cortisol. Even if you’re just running past a strip mall, the forward motion—the optic flow—has a desensitizing effect on the amygdala. This isn't some "woo-woo" theory; it’s neurobiology. Moving forward helps you move past things mentally.
The 10-Minute Rule
The biggest barrier is usually the first mile. It sucks. Your lungs burn, your shins ache, and you wonder why you’re doing this. But there is a psychological threshold around the ten-minute mark.
- Your capillaries dilate.
- Blood flow to the prefrontal cortex increases.
- The internal monologue—the one telling you to stop—finally shuts up.
If you can get past those first ten minutes, the rest of the run is usually a breeze. Or at least tolerable.
Don't Overthink the Gear
People love to spend $200 on shoes before they’ve even run a block. Don’t do that. Honestly, unless you have severe pronation issues, a decent pair of neutral trainers will do. The industry wants you to believe you need carbon plates and moisture-wicking compression socks that cost more than your grocery bill. You don’t.
What you actually need is a destination that doesn't feel like a chore. Run to a coffee shop. Run to a park you usually drive to. Run because you want to see what that weird house on the corner looks like up close.
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The Misconception of the "Perfect" Run
We’ve been conditioned to think that if a run isn't tracked on Strava, it didn't happen. This data-obsessed culture is killing the joy of movement. If you're constantly checking your watch to see your pace, you're not running; you're managing a spreadsheet while sweating.
Try leaving the watch at home once a week.
Experts like Dr. Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine physician often quoted in fitness circles, emphasize that the best exercise is the one you actually do. If you go out and run-walk for twenty minutes, you’ve won. You’ve done more for your cardiovascular health than 70% of the population will do today.
What Happens to Your Body on a Run
Let’s get technical for a second but keep it real. Your heart is a muscle. Like any muscle, it gets stronger when you challenge it. When you run, your stroke volume—the amount of blood your heart pumps with each beat—increases. Over time, this lowers your resting heart rate. A lower resting heart rate means your heart doesn't have to work as hard just to keep you alive while you're sleeping or watching Netflix.
It’s an investment in your future self.
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- Bone Density: High-impact movement (yes, running is impact) stresses the bones in a good way, signaling to the body to deposit more calcium and minerals.
- Mitochondrial Health: You’re essentially upgrading the power plants in your cells.
- Sleep Quality: There is a direct correlation between aerobic exercise and the amount of deep sleep you get.
The "Go On A Run Perhaps NYT" Philosophy
Why does this specific phrase keep popping up? Because the New York Times has carved out a niche in telling high-achieving, stressed-out people that it’s okay to be mediocre at exercise. The "perhaps" is the key. It’s an invitation, not a command.
In a world that demands 110% at all times, running is a space where you can give 40% and still see results. You can be the slowest person on the trail and you are still getting 100% of the mental health benefits.
How to Actually Start (Without Quitting in a Week)
Consistency is the boring secret that no one wants to hear. You’re better off running for fifteen minutes three times a week than running for an hour once and then being too sore to move for ten days.
Start with the "Talk Test." If you can’t mutter a full sentence because you’re gasping for air, you’re going too fast. Slow down. No, slower than that. You should be able to hold a conversation about what you want for dinner while you’re moving. This is the sweet spot for aerobic development and, frankly, for not hating your life while you do it.
Environmental Factors
Where you run matters. A study from the University of Exeter found that people who exercised in "green spaces" reported higher levels of well-being than those who ran on a treadmill in a basement. If you can find a trail or a park, do it. The "soft fascination" of looking at leaves and trees allows your directed attention (the stuff you use for work) to rest.
Actionable Next Steps
Instead of over-analyzing this, just do the following:
- Set out your clothes tonight. The "friction" of finding your socks in the morning is often enough to kill the motivation. Eliminate the friction.
- Commit to ten minutes. Tell yourself you can stop after ten minutes if you still hate it. You usually won't stop, but the "out" makes it easier to start.
- Find a podcast that isn't about work. Use this time to escape. Whether it’s true crime or a deep dive into 90s pop culture, make the run the only time you’re allowed to listen to that specific show.
- Hydrate early. Drinking water during a short run usually just leads to cramps. Drink a glass of water an hour before you head out.
- Forget the pace. Focus on your breath. If it’s rhythmic, you’re doing it right.
Running isn't about becoming an "athlete" in the traditional sense. It's about maintenance. It's about clearing the cobwebs out of your skull so you can return to your life with a little more clarity and a little less dread. Go on a run. Perhaps it's exactly what you need.