Surprising Benefits of Running
You probably know some basic benefits of running. But these benefits go beyond the basics!
From mental to…ahem…physical benefits (see number 12!), these will make you love the benefits of running – you’ll want to lace up your running sneakers and go run immediately!
1.) Relieves Stress
Running does wonderful things for stress relief, thanks to endorphins.
Without getting into the technical definition, let’s just say that endorphins are chemicals in the brain that are released when you exercise (among other ways) that reduce the feeling of pain and create a feeling of happiness.
From personal experience: If I’m having a stressful day, I run. It relaxes me, allows me to focus on something productive, and releases those feel-good endorphins.
Try running the next time you’re stressed!
2.) Improves Your Mood
Again: the magic of endorphins. Endorphins give you that happy feeling – ever heard of the “runners high”? It’s a real thing!
Plus, completing a healthy task like running is an accomplishment. Humans like accomplishing things, and that contributes to improving your mood too.
3.) Increases Energy
There’s a saying amongst runners that goes something like this: “I was tired, so I went for a run”.
Translation: non-runners sometimes scrap a run when they’re tired…but runners know that going for a run will actually INCREASE energy.
Sure, it might take a few minutes to get into it, but once you get the blood pumping and the endorphins flowing, you’ll notice a big difference in energy levels.
4.) Increased Cardiovascular Health (And You Live Longer!)
Studies show that running even 10 minutes a day at slow speeds reduces the risk of heart disease.
But going even further than that, one study found:
Runners [have] 30% and 45% lower adjusted risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respectively, with a 3-year life expectancy benefit…persistent runners had the most significant benefits, with 29% and 50% lower risks
That’s a giant reduction in risk….just from running!
3 extra years of life too!
RELATED: 5 Ways to Make Running a Habit
5.) Promotes Weight Loss
Running burns an average of 8-15 calories per minute (exact amount depends on your weight, speed and distance) – which is great compared to some other forms of exercise.
That means 30 minutes of running burns between 240-450 calories!
Now imagine if you didn’t change anything else in your life except adding in a 30 minute run 3-4 times a week. Same meals, same lifestyle…but now you’d be burning 720-1,800 calories per week too!
The point is – running burns a good amount of calories, which can ultimately lead to weight loss. An excellent benefit if you’re looking to lose weight running.
RELATED: Running for Weight Loss: The Essential Beginners Guide
6.) Promotes Healthy Eating
Running requires fuel. Fuel = food.
Runners often eat healthy because it helps them perform better, and feel better – and you don’t have to be an elite runner to see the value in this approach.
Even beginner runners can experience the benefits of eating healthy.
Example: Imagine eating a big greasy burger. How do you feel after?
Motivated? Would you want to run? Probably not.
Feel tired? Sleepy? Sluggish? Probably. Greasy, unhealthy food doesn’t promote energy and motivation.
Now imagine how you feel after a healthy meal – a salad, yogurt, fruit or oatmeal, etc. You don’t feel bogged down by heavy food (and your stomach digests it much quicker too, which helps prevent stomach cramps while running). Much better, right?!
RELATED: Runners Food 101: The Ultimate Guide to Nutrition for Runners
7.) Strong Legs and Abs
The motion of running creates strong glutes, quads, calves, abs and more – it’s like an extra side benefit of running!
Of course, it’s still recommended to do supplemental strength training exercises but even without that, running helps tone you up more than if you did nothing.
Note: Many runners choose to do strength training aside from running because it helps improve running form, reducing injuries and ultimately making you faster too.
8.) Great Running Community = Friends, Support & Fun
Did you know there is a strong running community all around the world?
I didn’t realize how awesome the running community was until I joined a local running club. And boy, do I look forward to our Thursday night runs together!
Make friends, get support with your running journey, and best of all – have some fun!
Our fun comes in the form of post-5K beers and pizza, which may seem counter-productive to some…but it’s TOTALLY worth it!
Ways to become part of your local running community:
- Join a running club
- Sign up for a 5K on a team
- Get some friends together for a weekly run and open up the invite to other locals
- Volunteer to work a local race – all races need volunteers, and you can meet some other really nice runners/volunteers there too
9.) Running Buddies are the Best Buddies
Get extra motivation and entertaining conversation by running with a running buddy.
The perks: One-on-one time to get to know someone and make a good friend, a commitment to go running that you might otherwise bail on if it were just you, talking makes the time go by faster, and so much more!
Some lifelong friendships started as running acquaintances – in fact, in our running club alone, 2 marriages and (at least) 1 long-term relationship has formed from people who met running together!
10.) Get Better Sleep
There’s some science behind this one.
But without boring you too much – your body needs to recuperate after strenuous exercise in order to heal muscles, re-absorb water lost sweating, and regain energy.
That means sleep comes easier and lasts longer for many runners.
Little more info on sleep benefits for runners from Competitor Running:
During the deeper stages of sleep, human growth hormone, (HGH) is released during slow wave sleep. HGH is a natural hormone produced by the pituitary gland and released into the bloodstream. HGH rebuilds damaged tissue while building stronger muscles. It also helps convert fat to fuel, and keeps our bones strong.
Runners need adequate sleep.
Requirements vary but the recommendation is generally to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
So enjoy your good night’s sleep knowing it makes you a better runner, and vice versa – and, that running benefits your sleep quality too!
11.) Feeling of Accomplishment and Pride
Running is an accomplishment.
It’s not always easy…but you make the decision to try, right?
Whether you just hit a PR (personal record) in your latest (or first!) 5K, or completed your 50th marathon….there’s always something to be proud of when running!
And feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment makes us happy. Happy runners keep running. This is my favorite of all the benefits of running because it’s the gift that keeps giving back.
It’s one big wonderful cycle of running awesomeness Eating Healthy + Running-> Endorphins -> Happiness -> Accomplishments -> Pride ->Running More (and so on and so on!)
12.) A Benefits of Running BONUS: Increased Sex Drive
When you are less stressed, well-rested from a good night’s sleep, in a good mood because of all those endorphins flowing through your system from running…guess what happens?
You may get a boost to your sex drive!
In a Women’s Running poll, 43% of respondent’s reported increased sex drive since they began running.
The reasons? Well, all the benefits of running listed about (healthy eating, increased mood, strong body, endorphins that create feelings of happiness…etc) compound to put you in a…frisky….mood.
Plus, running with your partner is great bonding time too. Spending quality time together accomplishing something (like running) increases your bond and attraction.
So what are you waiting for? With all these benefits of running, how can you not want to put on running sneakers and go for a run right now?!
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