Learn about the benefits of running for better fitness, mental health, and more.
Discover why running is a great exercise for everyone.
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Weight management, improved lung function, muscular endurance, strengthened bones, she rattles off and laughs.
RRCA-certified running coach and personal trainer
4 benefits of running thatll convince you to lace up your shoes
1.
It contributes to muscular endurance
First and foremost, running builds great muscular endurance.
Its also great for maintaining balance and good posture.
As you run, your muscles adapt to the sustained effort and become stronger.
Additionally, your body begins to use oxygen more efficiently and deliver it to the muscles youre using.
During activity, our sympathetic system becomes activated, Campbell says.
It means a more functional body thats not just strong cardio-wise, but muscle-wise, too.
Yeah, well, theyre wrong.
The opposite is true.
RRCA-certified running coach and personal trainer
Our bones are stimulated by the demands that we put on them, Campbell says,citing Wolfes Law.
She explains: Running requires us to accept two to three times our body weight.
When we run, there is an increase in osteoclast formation.
This is a cell that is responsible for breaking down old bones so that new stronger bones are remodeled.
After running we have an increase in osteoblast formation, which helps our bones grow back stronger than before.
Stress activates the healing mechanisms in your tissues.
The healing process is what makes them stronger and able to endure more.
There are brain chemicals that literally boost your mood during or immediately after a run.
But there are cognitive and emotional benefits of running that go well beyond this perk.
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Nielsen says running can give you mental advantages you may not even know about.
Theres also something about running that transcends physiology, Coviello says.
For [parents], it might be their only alone time.
For people with high-stress jobs, its their way to decompress.
For others, maybe they run with friends and its their opportunity to socialize.
If youre into racing, it can satisfy your competitive nature.
There are so many things about running that go beyond the physical act that add value to our lives.
The key for most runners is to really learn to nail the recovery.
Just as you train your body to run, training yourself to takerest daysis an essential skill to learn.
Runnings benefits go far beyond improved cardio.
FAQ
1.
Is it good to run every day?
How many minutes per day should you run to get the max amount of benefits?
This means at minimum, running 25 minutes three times per week if thats all the cardio you do.
You should also bestrength trainingtwice per week.
Can you get the same benefits of running from walking?
Walking is another amazing form of physical activity that has similar benefits to running.
You get more vigorous cardio minutes in, so your heart gets a better workout.
Campbell JP, Turner JE.
Debunking the Myth of Exercise-Induced Immune Suppression: Redefining the Impact of Exercise on Immunological Health Across the Lifespan.
2018 Apr 16;9:648. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00648.
PMID: 29713319; PMCID: PMC5911985.
Leisure-Time Running Reduces the Risk of Incident key in 2 Diabetes.
2019 Oct;132(10):1225-1232. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2019.04.035.
Epub 2019 May 17.
PMID: 31103650; PMCID: PMC6832784.
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