What are the health benefits of running?
The answer is a whole lot.
You have heard about running and other aerobic activities and how they improve your health.
But how exactly does running improve your health and bring out the best version of you?
This article will be discussing some of the great benefits of running and how it can enhance your well being.
Table of Contents
Some Important Health Benefits Of Running
1. You’re Charged Up And Ready To Go
Yes, the first few days might be unbearable, but anyone who takes running as part of their daily routine will tell you that it helps to get their day started.
It gives them that highly coveted positivity, that they can take on anything.
2. One Of The Best Anti-Depressants
If you’re feeling a little blue, and you’re unhappy for some reason, then you probably should go for a run.
Going for a run helps you get rid of those negative, depressing feelings you’ve been having and replaces them with a more positive, relaxing, happy feeling.
The kind of feeling you get when you know you just did something positive, yeah, that’s precisely the way you’d feel after a run.
3. Helps You Cope With Stress
Let’s face it, as long as you’re alive and you work for a living, there’s always going to be times when you feel stressed out.
For some, they start to overthink things and end up making more mistakes, and then the panic sets in.
But when you make running and exercise a part of your routine, you reduce the activity of your frontal cortex.
This means you’re less likely to overthink things and able to deal with stressful situations appropriately.
4. Deals with Panic Attacks And Anxiety Disorders
Let’s face it.
Panic attacks are terrible.
First the panic, then the difficulty breathing, then a lot more panic, and it suddenly feels like you’re drowning even though there’s a ton of oxygen all around you.
If you’ve ever experienced it, then you’d agree it’s not something you’d ever want to happen to you again.
Studies show that people who took running and exercise seriously were far less likely to panic in fearful situations, especially those prone to anxiety disorders.
5. Regulates Blood Pressure
Once you’ve passed the age of 40, you are then made aware of your blood pressure.
More so for hypertensive patients, keeping their blood pressure down becomes one of their biggest concerns.
But with all the stress and troubles that come with living today, regulating your blood pressure becomes a real battle.
Yet, several scientific research has proven that one of the most effective non-pharmacological ways to regulate blood pressure is through regular running and aerobics exercises.
6. Regulates Blood Sugar
We’ve all been made aware of the effects of what happens when our blood sugar levels are not kept in check.
For people with diabetes, their lives depend on how well they can regulate their blood sugar.
Aerobic exercises like running is a great way to get those sugar levels down.
7. Better Insulin Sensitivity
As said earlier, one of the most important benefits of running is that it helps you burn all the excess blood sugar.
With your muscles burning up all the excess sugar, your body becomes more sensitive to Insulin.
8. You Burn More Calories
While running, your entire body is in constant motion.
Whether you’re running as fast as you can or jogging, your body gets to burn a lot of calories.
The more miles you’re able to go each week, the more calories you’re able to get rid of.
Ideally, running for 14–20 miles per week is recommended.
9. Boosts Metabolism
Body metabolism is the rate of reactions throughout all major systems in the body, from the digestive system to the excretory system.
Running for twenty-five minutes or more requires a considerable amount of energy.
Your body’s metabolism becomes a lot faster to deliver the amount of energy to keep up with how fast you run.
10. You’re At It Even When You’re Not Running
We’ve established the fact that running and other aerobic exercises help you burn a lot of calories.
But what you don’t know is that for the next 14 hours after your workout, your body still gets to burn an extra 190 calories even if you’re sleeping.
That is why running is such an effective way to lose weight and get in shape.
11. Improved Sleep
When running becomes a part of your routine, your sleeping habits also improves.
You wouldn’t have to count to a hundred and back or pop sleeping pills before you’re able to get some shut-eye.
So if you find it difficult to get eight hours of quality sleep, then put on your running shoes and start running.
12. You Become More Productive
When you make running a part of your routine, you become a lot more productive at the workplace.
Numerous researches have shown that when people exercise, they get into “work mode” and become far more productive than the days they don’t exercise.
13. You Become More Confident
When you run, you become more confident in yourself.
And why wouldn’t you feel good about yourself?
You’re now taking good care of your body and trying to improve your health.
So if you’re not the type who enjoys reading motivational books and listening to motivational speeches, then perhaps all you need is a thirty-minute run.
14. Improved Intelligence
Whether you’re in a classroom or the office, or any other working environment, when you take out time for aerobic activities like running, it improves brain activity.
The brain experiences an increased level of cortisol.
That helps to improve memory retention.
15. You Are More In Control
As said earlier, running and other aerobic activities help improve brain functionality, not just for memory retention but also for different functions.
You have better control of your cognitive functions, which helps you pay more attention to the little details that usually get past you and affect your productivity.
16. Improves Your Sex Life
For men, running and other intense exercises help to boost testosterone levels.
Testosterone, also known as the male hormone, takes care of the male’s sex drive and sexual stamina.
For women, running and exercise generally improve psychological arousal while also improving your sexual energy and sex life in general.
17. Improves Blood Circulation
Poor diet, lack of physical activities, and several other factors contribute to fatty cells being deposited on the walls of blood vessels.
Over time, it becomes more and more difficult for blood to flow freely.
Running and other vigorous activities help to free up these blood vessels, burning up the fatty cells and improving blood circulation.
18. Improved Heart Conditions
We’ve already established the fact that running helps to burn calories, reduce cholesterol levels and help to promote weight loss.
Running also helps to clean up blood vessels and improve heart rate and blood pressure.
All of these benefits give you a healthier heart.
Studies also show that those who exercise are less likely to have a heart attack and a better all-round cardiovascular health.
19. Reverse Vascular Stiffness
As you grow older, the larger blood vessels like the aorta starts to lose elasticity.
These lead to symptoms like chest pain, fatigue, joint aches, breathing problems, hypertension, and several other problems.
To reverse vascular stiffness, rigorous exercises like running a marathon helps to improve elasticity and reverse aging of blood vessels.
20. You Live Longer
Running and exercise in general helps improve your overall health, all of which contribute to a more improved healthy lifestyle that allows you to slow down aging.
It is an established fact that those who run and exercise regularly look several years younger than their peers.
So if you want to look younger, it’s time to get your running shoes and start hitting the road.
Final Words
There you have it, the important health benefits of running.
As much as you would like to do at least 5 miles every day, it is always essential to start with the baby steps if you’re running for the first time.
This helps to get your body prepared for the rigors of activities.
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