Бег по утрам помогает мне меньше нервничать.

the morning

Breakdown of Бег по утрам помогает мне меньше нервничать.

• мне: me
• помогать: to help
• по: in

Questions & Answers about Бег по утрам помогает мне меньше нервничать.

What does Бег mean here, and why is it a noun instead of a verb like бегать?

Бег is a noun meaning running. In this sentence, it works like the English gerund running:

• Бег по утрам = running in the mornings

Russian often uses a noun where English uses -ing. So instead of saying something like To run in the mornings helps me..., Russian naturally says:

• Бег по утрам помогает мне...

Using бегать here would not fit the structure of the sentence as well, because бегать is a verb, while Бег is the subject of помогает.

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What does по утрам mean exactly?

По утрам means in the mornings or every morning / on mornings in general.

It expresses a habitual, repeated time. Compare:

• утром = in the morning / this morning / in the morning generally, depending on context
• по утрам = in the mornings, morning after morning, as a routine

So:

• Бег по утрам = running in the mornings
• not just one specific morning, but a regular habit

This по + dative plural pattern is very common for repeated times:

• по вечерам = in the evenings