While several exercises can help you in losing weight and staying in shape, nothing beats running! At least when it comes to its various advantages. Some of the most awesome benefits of running include lowered risk of heart diseases, better life expectancy, and improved immune health.
Should You Run Daily?
Before discussing the benefits of running in detail, it is important to discuss the routine that you should adopt. Although running has countless benefits like improving your immune system and helping with weight-loss, overdoing it can degrade your health too. The key is to develop the pace slowly. If you start running too fast right from the start, it might damage your joints and muscles. Here are a few precautions that you can take to avoid injuries:
- Buy only medicated sports shoes
- Increase the distance slowly
- Engage in other exercises like cycling as well
- Always remember to do a warm-up before the run
- Run with the right posture
- Consult the doctor immediately in case of injury
Other Exercises
Besides running, you should include other exercises in your daily routine as well. Doing so can help you get into perfect shape and stay active. Here are some other benefits of doing so:
- Lowered chances of injuries
- Improved flexibility of muscles and joints
- Faster recovery from injuries
- Increases your options
To gain maximum benefits, make sure that you so swimming, cycling, or meditation one or two times a week along with running.
Advantages of Running
Running can change your life in amazing ways. By running daily, consuming the shakes for building muscles, and doing some weight-lifting, you can keep both your mind and body healthy. Here are some best advantages to running:
Improved Heart Health
Just like cardio, running can bring your amazing benefits. According to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, running can improve your overall heart health. It can also decrease your risk of developing deadly cardiovascular diseases by keeping the high blood pressure under control. So, even if you run only for 10-15 minutes daily, your heart health can significantly improve. But it is very important to avoid fatty and caloric foods to reap these benefits.
Increased Life Expectancy
One of the most amazing benefits of running is that it can increase your life span. So, just by adopting a healthy diet and running daily, you can live much longer than expected. According to a 2018 research, non-runners have a 25 to 30 percent greater rate of dying from different diseases than the runners. Even with a minimal amount of effort, you can keep dangerous diseases at bay. A research paper published in 2017 showed that runners’ life expectancy can increase up to three years compared to non-runners. This is because running offers the following benefits to regular runners:
- Better cardiovascular health
- Lower fat in the body
- Better insulin and glucose level maintenance
- Lower cholesterol levels
- Better hormone levels
- Better mental functioning
According to another study on runners, 75 years old seniors who used to run and bicycle daily had biological profiles closer to 25-year-olds. So, through all these studies, it has become very clear that running can improve your health and help you live longer.
You Feel High
When you do exercise or run, your brain can signal the release of two amazing chemicals in your body. These chemicals (endorphins and endocannabinoids) are happiness-related hormones. So, if you developing the habit of running daily, your body and mind can react in the same ways they react to THC. THC is a chemical found in marijuana that gives you immense pleasure and relaxes you. So, by running daily you can feel high and happy without using drugs.
Improved Sleep
One of the common reasons people gain weight fast is that they don’t sleep enough. Lack of adequate amount of sleep can make you feel exhausted and degrade your brain functioning in the long run. Adequate sleep can help you recover from exhaustion and mental stress.
According to the American Journal of Lifestyle Exercise, exercise can help you fall asleep easily and can improve the quality of your sleep. Exhaustion can help you sleep better and the lack of it can make it harder for you to sleep better and exercise. According to a 2018 study, running and exercising an hour or two before bedtime can make people fall asleep easily. It can also improve the quality of sleep in the long run.
Improved Joints and Back
Contrary to popular belief, running doesn’t weaken joints or increase the risk of arthritis. It can decrease the chances and help people with this condition recover easily. One of the most remarkable benefits of running is that the more you use your joints and muscles, the stronger they become. Even exercises like swimming and walking can’t offer you the same benefits as running does.
Easy Weight Loss
Running is an amazing exercise to lose weight easily. You don’t need to pay gym fees, buy expensive sportswear, and adjust your schedule by choosing this exercise. You can run at your convenience and burn those extra calories quickly.
According to an editorial published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, exercise can help in weight loss. You just need to figure out your body-mass ratio and the amount of exercise that you should do. Then with the right kind of diet, you can lose considerable weight within a month. If you have quit smoking recently, you might have been experiencing huge weight gain. Other disastrous side effects of smoking include muscular and increased risk of deadly diseases. You can get rid of these and adopt a healthy lifestyle by running and eating healthy foods daily.
While running can help with quick weight-loss, it is also very important to maintain the running routine. If you manage to lose weight but stop running after doing so, you’ll quickly gain weight again. So, running should be part of the daily routine instead of a necessary component of your weight-loss plan. According to a 2018 paper “The Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Weight Loss and Maintenance,” the idea duration of exercising should be from 200 to 300 minutes for losing weight easily. People who exercise for less than 150 minutes might find it harder to lose weight.
Improved Sperm Count
Lastly, Exercise can improve sperm count and decrease the chances of male infertility. According to experts, running for 30 minutes daily can boost the male reproductive system. However, it is also important to avoid the following to gain maximum benefits:
- Rigorous exercise
- Excess alcohol consumption
- Smoking
- Weight gain
