7 Amazing Benefits of Running
Benefits of Running
Love it or hate it, there are some pretty amazing benefits you receive from running. Take it from me. I was never a runner. I would always make an excuse “I can’t run” “I’m too fat” “What if someone see’s me” But letting go of all the excuses and not caring about what anyone thinks and just going out there and running is in it self a rewarding benefit.
Getting out of your comfort zone and achieving something you didn’t think you could do, feels pretty great. It doesn’t matter how far you run, you just have to go! Don’t over think it. Start with intervals, run faster then your walking pace for as long as you can as many times as you can. Before you start your session set your self a mini goal “I am going to run for 1 minute and walk long enough to recover and do this 10 times”
This is how I started my running journey. I mapped out a 5km route from my front door and started walking for the first 10 minutes to warm up, which was a nice long hill. Then I ran the first block and walked the rest of the way home. Next time I went for a run I walked the same hill to warm up, then added on another block from my first run and each time gradually increasing the distance until I could run the whole way including the warm up hill. I always remind myself of the first time I completed that 5km route, it was pretty AMAZING. My confidence and love for running grew from there.
So I would like to share some amazing benefits you will start to feel and see when you run consistently and some benefits you may not notice but they are happening.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Exercise is medicine.” Well, it’s not just a saying; it’s the truth.
Research proves that regular exercise (30 minutes, five times per week)—and running in particular—has health benefits that extend well beyond any pill a doctor could prescribe. Studies have shown that running can help prevent Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, Heart disease, High blood pressure, Stroke, some cancers, and a host of other unpleasant conditions. What’s more, scientists have shown that running also improves the quality of your emotional and mental life. It even helps you live longer. Here’s how:
1. Running makes you happier.
If you’ve been working out regularly, you’ve already discovered it: No matter how good or bad you feel at any given moment, exercise will make you feel better. And it goes beyond just the “runner’s high”—that rush of feel-good hormones. Researchers have found that even a single bout of exercise—30 minutes of walking on a treadmill—could instantly lift the mood of someone suffering from a major depressive order.
And even on those days when you have to force yourself out the door, exercise still protects you against anxiety and depression. Moderate exercise may help people cope with anxiety and stress even after they’re done working out.
Research shows just 30 minutes of running during the week for three weeks boosted sleep quality, mood, and concentration during the day.
Ever heard someone call running their “drug”? Well, apparently, it actually is pretty similar. A 2015 study in Neuropharmacology showed that running causes the same kind of neuro-chemical adaptations in brain reward pathways as some addictive drugs. So go get high on running!!
2. Running helps you lose or maintain weight.
You know that exercises burns calories while you’re working out. The bonus is that when you exercise, the burn continues after you stop. Regular exercise boosts “afterburn”—that is, the number of calories you burn after exercise. (Scientists call this EPOC, which stands for excess post oxygen consumption.) That’s kind of like getting a pay – check even after you retire. You don’t have to be sprinting at the speed of lIggy to get this benefit. This happens when you’re exercising at an intensity that’s about 70 percent of max heart rate (That’s a little faster than your easy pace and a little slower than marathon pace.)
3. Running strengthens your knees (and your other joints and bones)
It’s long been known that running increases bone mass, and even helps prevent age-related bone loss. But chances are, you’ve had family, friends, and strangers warn you that “running is bad for your knees.” Well, science has proven that it’s not. In fact, studies show that running improves knee health.
Knee injuries usually occur from improper technique, poor alignment and lack of muscle activation.
4. Running will keep you sharper, even as you age.
Worried about “losing it” as you get older? Working out regularly will help you stay “with it.” Regular exercise helps defeat age-related mental decline, particularly functions like task switching, selective attention, and working memory.
5. Running reduces your risk of cancer.
Maybe running doesn’t cure cancer, but there’s plenty of proof that it helps prevent it. Studies showed that regular exercise is associated with a lower risk of certain cancers. What’s more, if you already have cancer, running (with your doctor’s approval) can improve your quality of life while you’re undergoing chemotherapy.
6. Running adds years to your life.
Even if you meet just the minimum of amount of physical activity—(30 minutes, 5 times per week), you’ll live longer. Studies show that when different types of people started exercising, they lived longer. Smokers added 4.1 years to their lives; nonsmokers gained 3 years. Even if you’re still smoking, you’ll get 2.6 more years. Cancer survivors extended their lives by 5.3 years. Those with heart disease gained 4.3 years.
7. Improves Cardiovascular Health
Running is the king of cardio. Running improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Regular runners half the chances of dying from heart disease. Every time you run, you decrease your resting heart rate, so your heart doesn’t need to work as hard. Your heart is a muscle. So the more we run, we train our heart muscle to pump blood and oxygen around our body more efficiently. Running also help reduce high blood pressure.
So if you have never been a runner, or have had doubts about running…..Don’t think about it (I’ve always said running is 90% Mental & 10% Physical anybody can run but its all up in your head why you can’t re-write your own beliefs, change your running mindset and believe in yourself) …..JUST DO IT!