As someone who's been exercising for mental health the past few years I totally get it; however, for me there are too many facts and figures and not enough feels.

A brilliant, compassionate insight into both mental illness and exercise , Bella Mackie’s Jog On will act as a comfort – and a spur – to so many. I personally feel that if you're an anxious person (or suffer from any other mental health issues), then you'll find this insightful. Now six years later I run 20-25 miles every week without fail and I don’t know where I’d be without it. The side notes of other peoples' stories, and stats and general development of science of mind and body needing to be in sync was really good but yes, I didn't really enjoy it.For me there was too many cold facts and not enough personal connection between the reader and author.

I would love to give Jog On a higher rating, but the writing was repetitive and a bit too statistic-heavy for my liking. Within a month, I was running through central London on my own, and I hadn’t been there on my own for years. Packed with insights from athletes and psychologists and step-by-step achievable goals, The Jog On Journal has everything you need to get you up and running. I don’t deny exercise is good for your mental health and I wanted to know more about how running saved Bella Mackie’s life. I listened to the audiobook of this, which is narrated by the author, and really enjoyed this format.I went into this book expecting a focus on running for newbies and its benefits to mental health that the author experienced.

Although running is a very personal activity, I saw many of the reasons I choose to run, the challenges, the highs/lows etc.It is well documented that runner’s high is due to the body’s own endorphins and it makes sense that something that we have evolved to do, and were built for, makes us feel so good after doing it. Mackie explores how running improves your self esteem, quells anxiety and generally improves every aspect of life. I found the honesty about mental health really refreshing and learned a lot about other forms of anxiety. She began to set herself achievable goals – to run 5k in under 30 minutes, to walk to work every day for a week, to attempt 10 push-ups in a row. Through her story she gives the reader tips with a non bullshit approach, without sounding smug or preachy.

I wouldn't have imagined that it would end up bringing me joy and confidence and imbue me with a love of exercise, but here we are. If, like me, you're a runner (ew, but Bella made me feel okay about saying this), or struggle with your mental health in some way, I'd really recommend this book. but to my relief, she simply focuses on the benefits of running; whether you're jogging for five minutes, or heading out for a four-hour slog.On a more personal note - I too started running, back in April (after a particularly splendid panic attack in Australia that left me literally vomiting! It was down an alleyway and I just kept going back there because I was too ashamed to run anywhere else, as I thought people would laugh and shout at me. Most people think of running as something which is good for the physical body in terms of weight management, toning and generally looking good. Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ.