Benefits of Running
Health Benefits for Runners
Running is one of the best activities most people can do to improve their health. Running regularly can help with weight loss, fighting aging and disease, and with generally staying healthy.
Many people start running in order to win the battle of the bulge. Whether they are obese or just want to lose that last five pounds, or even if they just want to stay at the weight they are at, approximately 60% of runners start running to manage their weight. Running is one of the top activities for burning fat. In fact, with the exception of cross country skiing, running burns more calories per minute than any other form of cardiovascular exercise.
Running regularly also has been proven to help fight the aging process. It prevents muscle and bone loss that often occur with age. Our bones are made to accommodate the demands placed upon them. By sitting at a computer all day many of us allow our bones to grow weaker, but by running regularly our skeleton gets the demand it needs to stay healthy. In addition to keep our insides from aging quickly, regular, high-intensity exercise, like running, has also been proven to promote the human growth hormone, which celebrities have taken injections of for years to keep them looking young.
Amazingly running also helps to fight disease. Running reduces the risk of stroke and breast cancer. Regular running has become a treatment option for doctors to prescribe to patients who are at a high risk, or early stages, of osteoporosis, diabetes, and hypertension. It reduces the risk of heart attacks, by strengthening the heart and lowering blood pressure. Running lowers blood pressure and maintains the elasticity of arteries incredibly well because as you run your arteries expand and contract nearly three times as much as usual.
Running also helps maintain and improve general health. It raises HDL (or “good”) cholesterol, reduces the risk of blood clots, and encourages use of the 50% of your lungs that usually go unused. Running also boost the immune system by creating a higher concentration of lymphocytes (white blood cells that attack disease).
As you can see, the health benefits of running are many and varied. But that alone isn’t all that you can reap from running regularly. There are also many psychological benefits.
Psychological Benefits
Aside from the health benefits jogging or running imparts, there are also many psychological benefits to a regular running or jogging program. Some of these include the confidence and character that running builds, the stress relief, and the attitude boost. Oh, and let’s not forget the runner’s high.
Running builds confidence like few other individual sports can. It allows the runner to defeat trial after trial, growing stronger and more sure of themselves with each footstrike. It allows you to truly climb hills and clear obstacles. It provides a feeling of empowerment and freedom that comes with knowing that your legs and body are strong and capable. Confidence is even more a product of running for those who lose weight and gain a better self-image through running.
Stress relief is another huge benefit of jogging. Whether by allowing you the time to think about life’s problems or time to escape them for awhile, tension easily flies by the wayside as you fly over the miles. Distance runs are great for solving problems that are nagging at you. What better than a 3 hour run all by yourself to clear your mind and allow you to pin down an answer? Speed runs are great for tearing through aggression and anger. Focus all that emotion into a few sprints and you’ll feel better in no time.
Aside from just the stress relief, jogging has also been proven to improve attitude. Running, especially outside and on trails, creates a release of endorphins that can cause euphoria (runner’s high) or just a general sense of happiness. Running has been used for years to treat clinical depression and addictions of all kinds. Less tension, less depression, less fatigue, and less confusion are just a few of the changes that patient’s have seen after beginning a regular running program. Running gives something for them to focus on, allowing them to see something besides their depressed state or addiction.
Along that line, running can help train the mind as much as it trains the body. By making yourself overcome the obstacles that running brings, you learn focus and determination. The will and strength that gets your body through long runs or those runs you’d much rather skip is what in turn strengthens your mind and gives you focus and determination in other areas of your life.
As you can see, the benefits of jogging affect the health of your body and your mind. But running still has more benefits to provide.
Health Benefits for Runners
Running is one of the best activities most people can do to improve their health. Running regularly can help with weight loss, fighting aging and disease, and with generally staying healthy.
Many people start running in order to win the battle of the bulge. Whether they are obese or just want to lose that last five pounds, or even if they just want to stay at the weight they are at, approximately 60% of runners start running to manage their weight. Running is one of the top activities for burning fat. In fact, with the exception of cross country skiing, running burns more calories per minute than any other form of cardiovascular exercise.
Running regularly also has been proven to help fight the aging process. It prevents muscle and bone loss that often occur with age. Our bones are made to accommodate the demands placed upon them. By sitting at a computer all day many of us allow our bones to grow weaker, but by running regularly our skeleton gets the demand it needs to stay healthy. In addition to keep our insides from aging quickly, regular, high-intensity exercise, like running, has also been proven to promote the human growth hormone, which celebrities have taken injections of for years to keep them looking young.
Amazingly running also helps to fight disease. Running reduces the risk of stroke and breast cancer. Regular running has become a treatment option for doctors to prescribe to patients who are at a high risk, or early stages, of osteoporosis, diabetes, and hypertension. It reduces the risk of heart attacks, by strengthening the heart and lowering blood pressure. Running lowers blood pressure and maintains the elasticity of arteries incredibly well because as you run your arteries expand and contract nearly three times as much as usual.
Running also helps maintain and improve general health. It raises HDL (or “good”) cholesterol, reduces the risk of blood clots, and encourages use of the 50% of your lungs that usually go unused. Running also boost the immune system by creating a higher concentration of lymphocytes (white blood cells that attack disease).
As you can see, the health benefits of running are many and varied. But that alone isn’t all that you can reap from running regularly. There are also many psychological benefits.
Psychological Benefits
Aside from the health benefits jogging or running imparts, there are also many psychological benefits to a regular running or jogging program. Some of these include the confidence and character that running builds, the stress relief, and the attitude boost. Oh, and let’s not forget the runner’s high.
Running builds confidence like few other individual sports can. It allows the runner to defeat trial after trial, growing stronger and more sure of themselves with each footstrike. It allows you to truly climb hills and clear obstacles. It provides a feeling of empowerment and freedom that comes with knowing that your legs and body are strong and capable. Confidence is even more a product of running for those who lose weight and gain a better self-image through running.
Stress relief is another huge benefit of jogging. Whether by allowing you the time to think about life’s problems or time to escape them for awhile, tension easily flies by the wayside as you fly over the miles. Distance runs are great for solving problems that are nagging at you. What better than a 3 hour run all by yourself to clear your mind and allow you to pin down an answer? Speed runs are great for tearing through aggression and anger. Focus all that emotion into a few sprints and you’ll feel better in no time.
Aside from just the stress relief, jogging has also been proven to improve attitude. Running, especially outside and on trails, creates a release of endorphins that can cause euphoria (runner’s high) or just a general sense of happiness. Running has been used for years to treat clinical depression and addictions of all kinds. Less tension, less depression, less fatigue, and less confusion are just a few of the changes that patient’s have seen after beginning a regular running program. Running gives something for them to focus on, allowing them to see something besides their depressed state or addiction.
Along that line, running can help train the mind as much as it trains the body. By making yourself overcome the obstacles that running brings, you learn focus and determination. The will and strength that gets your body through long runs or those runs you’d much rather skip is what in turn strengthens your mind and gives you focus and determination in other areas of your life.
As you can see, the benefits of jogging affect the health of your body and your mind. But running still has more benefits to provide.