Getting up for a morning run or taking a nighttime jog after work may seem a lot of effort, but the overall health benefits of running are definitely worth it. Running boasts a plethora of benefits including illness prevention, improved joint strength, weight management, and increased happiness. Here is why you should start running!
Illness prevention
Running does far more than just strengthening your joints. In fact, running increases your overall health in a variety of ways that you might not be familiar with! Running helps prevent obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, strokes, high blood pressure, some types of cancer, and more.
Not only does running help the body, but it also helps the mind. A study published in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review showed that running increases focus, task-switching ability, and working memory for children and young adults. Studies have also indicated that older adults that are more fit score higher on mental tests than their unfit peers.
Joint strength
Just like any other workout, running increases bodily strength. However, there is an ongoing myth that “running is bad for your knees.” Numerous studies have proven this wrong! Running actually strengthens knees, joints, and bones.
When you are pounding the pavement, it puts a lot of stress on your bones and cartilage. Although it may sound detrimental, this type of stress actually causes an increase in bone mass and helps prevent age-related bone loss.
Weight Management
Running takes a lot of energy, which in turn burns a lot of calories. Combine this with the afterburn effect (where your body continues to burn calories after the work out), and you have a powerhouse method of losing or maintaining your body weight.
In addition, running works out a host of muscles throughout your body unlike certain exercises that only strengthen a single muscle group. Running will shape your legs, firm up your rear end, and tighten the core muscles in your abs.
Increased happiness
The first couple of runs may be a bit rough, but soon you will be literally running high! Runner’s high is suspected to be caused by a rush of endorphins and endocannabinoids that impart a sense of euphoria; this phenomenon can help protect you against depression, anxiety, and even stress.
Research reviewed in the Clinical Psychology Review found that “exercise training recruits a process which confers enduring resilience to stress.” This means that when you run, your mind becomes more resistant to stress, which can help you in other areas of life.
Running doesn’t just lessen your negative emotions; it frequently helps increase positivity through improved concentration, mood, and sleep quality. All it takes is 30 minutes of running per week to get a desirable boost in performance.
Every day you go for a run is another day you continue to strengthen your body, improve your mind, and better your quality of life. Find a fun place to run, strap on a pair of quality running shoes, and head out! It won’t be long before you return smiling and feeling like a million bucks.