Jogging your memory - ABC Online

The study, conducted by scientists at the University of Queensland, found an increase in Growth Hormone in the brains of the running animals they tested. This increase helps stimulate new neural stem cells.

Michael Bray is a Toowoomba runner, and says running certainly helps him clear his mind.

"If I've trained in the morning I do have clearer thoughts, I feel less groggy and more focused. I think it makes a difference."

"They talk about blokes having 'cave time'. Running is my cave time. I find when it's all getting a bit too much, often a run is enough to flush out the mind. It's rare we have the opportunity to not think much these days. So to be out on the road for an hour without a computer or phone keeps me sane. Often I'll solve my problems, or at least think them through."

As a Toowoomba runner, Michael ends up running "on foggy days, wet days, and cold days...but I think that's just part of the fun."

"We think of ourselves as mountain men and women!" He laughs, "we're wild at heart! I lived on the coast for years but I think moving to Toowoomba improved my running. I can't go for a run around here without encountering hills of some sort. Arthur Lydiard, the famous New Zealand coach, said running hills is speed work in disguise. They make you faster without realising it."

Michael says popular running spots in Toowoomba include the East Creek and West Creek paths. "Even around Queens Park you'll often see people doing laps around the outside. There's lots of scenic places to run in Toowoomba, that's for sure."

Mchael believes running can be for everyone. "We all have different obstacles to running, whether it's your body shape or injury. But I think if you want to run, you'll find a way. The biggest thing is getting your mind in gear to start with."

So if, after a few runs, your legs start to ache and you're ready to throw your brand new jogging shoes in the bin, Michael says keep at it, it will get better. "Once you break through the barrier, then I think you reap the rewards physically and mentally," he says.