What is it about running that it attracts more and more people? Professional trainers, fitness classes, running shoes all dedicated to running. Running attracts people from all age groups and all walks of life. There are more and more groups being formed and there is an increasing participation seen in marathons too.
It is the only fitness regime which requires no equipments, no specialised play areas and just any one can practise it, with a lot of dedication.
Health Benefits of running:
Studies have shown that running can help prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some cancers, and a host of other unpleasant conditions. Here’s why running is good for your health:
1. Running makes you happier If you’ve been working out regularly, you’ve already discovered it: No matter how good or bad you feel at any given moment, exercise will make you feel better. And it goes beyond just the “runner’s high”—that rush of feel-good hormones known as endocannabinoids. It helps instantly lift the mood of someone suffering from a major depression.
2. Running strengthens your knees (and your other joints and bones, too).
Running increases your bone mass, and even helps stem age-related bone loss. Contrary to popular belief it does no harm to your knees.
3. Running will keep you sharper Regular exercise helps defeat age-related mental decline, particularly functions like task switching, selective attention, and working memory. In fact, even stroke patients see an improvement by almost 50 percent in their memory, language, thinking, and judgment problems.
4. Improve Your Health Believe it or not, running is actually a great way to increase your overall level of health. Research shows that running can raise your levels of good cholesterol while also helping you increase lung function and use. In addition, running can also boost your immune system and lower your risk of developing blood clots.
5. Prevent Disease For women, running can actually help to lower your risk of breast cancer. It can also help reduce the risk of having a stroke. Many doctors today recommend running for people who are in the early stages of diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis, and it is proven to help reduce the risk of having a heart attack. By helping the arteries retain their elasticity and strengthening the heart, your chances of suffering a heart attack can be significantly reduced.
6. Lose Weight Running is one of the best forms of exercise for losing or maintaining a consistent weight. You will find that it is a leading way to burn off extra calories and that it is the second most effective exercise in terms of calories burned per minute.
7. Boost Your Confidence Not all of the benefits of running are physical. Running can provide an noticeable boost to your confidence and self-esteem. By setting and achieving goals, you can help give yourself a greater sense of empowerment that will leave you feeling much happier.
8. Relieve Stress Stress can actually cause a number of health and mood problems. It can also diminish appetite and sleep quality. When you run, you force your body to exert excess energy and hormones. Running also helps to reduce your chances of developing tension headaches.
9. Eliminate Depression When you are depressed, the last thing you likely want to do is to get up and go for a run. Yet you will find that after only a few minutes of running, your brain will start to secrete hormones that naturally improve your mood.
10. Running adds years to your life Even if you meet just the minimum of amount of physical activity—(30 minutes, five times per week), you’ll live longer.
It may seem surprising to learn all of the different ways that running can improve your health, but the truth of the matter is that these are only a few of the many benefits that it can offer to your body. Running really is incredibly beneficial to the body, mind, and spirit, and you will find that even short runs can leave you feeling more energized, more focused, and better able to enjoy all that life has to offer.
Some facts about Running:
1. The marathon was not an event of the ancient Olympic games. The marathon started in 1896 in Athens, a race from Marathon – northeast of Athens – to the Olympic Stadium, a distance of 42.195 kilometers.
2. Running outside at the same pace as on the treadmill burns more calorie due to air resistance!
3. The most common runners injuries: runner’s knee, stress fractures, shin splints, Achilles tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis
4. Your feet can produce up to a pint of sweat each day.
5. Just 2 1/2 hours of weekly running increases men’s testosterone by 15%.
6. It takes 200 muscles to take a step when you run.
A study suggests that even five to 10 minutes a day of low-intensity running is enough to extend life by several years, compared with not running at all. It shows that the minimal healthy “dose” of exercise is smaller than many people might assume. Get Running today!
Our specialised Sports Medicine team is here to assist you for any running related concerns:
https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/centresofexcellence/centrefor_sportsmedicine.html
