Benefits of Running
Benefits of running
🏃🏼Running does NOT cause osteoarthritis in your knees.
A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has demonstrated this In fact running can strengthen the knees, along with other joints by providing a protective effect against the development of cartilage problems. It was shown that only 3.5 percent of recreational runners had either knee or hip osteoarthritis compared to 10.2 percent of non-runners.
Research in the journal Osteoporosis International found that older runners had higher bone mineral density than sedentary people and swimmers of the same age which is important in the protection against both osteoporosis and fractures.
The study also recommends that runners suffering from osteoarthritis should continue to run rather than ceasing altogether, but run less frequently to allow the cartilage to recover.
🏃🏽♀️Running can reduce your risk of developing certain cancers.
A review of 170 studies in the Journal Of Nutrition showed regular exercise is associated with a lower risk of developing certain cancers, including colon cancer (risk reduced by 40% to 70%), breast cancer (30% to 40%) and lung cancer (30% to 40%).
🏃🏾♂️Running can help you live longer.
Over time, with consistent running, your heart and lungs adapt. Your heart becomes stronger, enabling it to pump a greater volume of blood per beat, and your lungs become more powerful and capable of taking in more air per breath. As your cardiovascular efficiency improves, you’re able to run faster with less effort.
A study by Iowa State University found running three times a week for an average of just 17 minutes a time reduced the risk of fatal heart attack or stroke by 55%.
In California a study has followed more than 154,000 runners and walkers. It has found that as little as three to seven miles of consistent running per week can lower blood pressure and resting heart rate, reducing the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol. Running can also lower triglycerides, as well as cholesterol
🏃🏼♀️Running can help with your mental health.
Running can lower the stress hormone, cortisol, which helps you feel more relaxed
The “runner’s high” is a rush of mood-boosting endorphins brought on by a long-distance endurance run or vigorous exercise.
Finishing a good run can leave you feeling proud, capable, powerful, and even elated, ready to conquer anything that comes your way with a good attitude. If you suffer from depression, running can alleviate symptoms and stabilise your mood.
More recently it has been identified that endocannabinoids (which are our own natural version of THC or marijuana) are also released and help create a sensation of calm and tranquility, which not only relaxes your mind but can relax unnecessary tension in your muscles.
A small study by the sports brand Asics found that after only a short a 20-minute run there was a 58% reduction in levels of cognitive stress
Running is also a good way to meet people whether as part of a local park run or a local running group or club that often run groups to take up running following a couch to 5km programme
In addition adults over 50 who take up aerobic exercise benefit from better cognitive function and improved blood flow in the brain, according to research and a study in the Journal Of Alzheimer’s Disease found that those who ran 15.3 miles per week had a 40% lower risk of dying from Alzheimer’s disease than non-runners.
🏃🏼♀️Running can help with weight management
Running can reduce waist circumference and body fat percentage which reduce disease risk and help you feel healthier overall.
As long as you properly fuel your body with enough calories and protein to support your training, running can help build muscle and increase strength. As a total-body workout, running strengthens your legs, core, and upper body.
🏃🏾♂️Start slowly Depending on your current fitness level, you may need to start out with walking. If you haven’t been active at all for quite some time, follow a couch to 5km programme. If you already go to the gym or work out in other ways, you may be able to jump right into jogging, though many beginning running programs recommend interspersing walking breaks into your running over the first couple of weeks. Walking breaks give your heart and lungs a chance to relax a little and also change up the muscular demand on your legs. As you get fitter, reduce the frequency and duration of walking breaks.
🏃♀️Don’t push yourself too hard.
It takes the muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments longer to adapt to the stresses and impact of running than it does for your cardiovascular system to adapt to the aerobic demands. In other words, you may feel like you can keep going and do more miles from a breathing point of view but you should limit your mileage as you get started running to avoid overdoing it on your body and risking musculoskeletal injury. Remember that the time period for adaption increases with age - and is very different when you are 20 compared with when you are 40 or 50. Many beginning runners become overly eager and end up sidelined with an injury in the first few weeks of training. This can be avoided with a conservative, gradual increase in distance and speed.
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