NACI students run for it

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Published on Tuesday, May 23, 2017

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The Neepawa Press

Over the past six weeks, around 30 students from NACI have been taking part in the Run For It program, which combines run training with mental health/wellness education. This is a special kind of running club, for all levels, that focuses not only the physical aspects of running, but all the benefits of exercise on our mood, stress levels and overall well-being.

Running has been proven effective in helping individuals better manage stress, anxiety and even symptoms of depression. Before each run, students were given a short lesson (~10 minutes), either on run training or a related mental health/wellness topic. The running club had two scheduled 5km runs per week, Wednesdays after school and Fridays before school. There is a good chance you have seen some of our runners around town! 

This past Sunday (May 14th), around half the students from the NACI running club took part in the Shoppers LOVE. YOU. Run for Women in Winnipeg. We were invited to attend this event, sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart, as part of the Run For It program. All proceeds from the event went to the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba, who support mental health programs and initiatives across the province. Many of our runners achieved personal bests and some even placed within the top 10 per cent (out of over 900 runners)! Overall, it was a great experience and everyone involved, adults included, had a blast!