Running and exercise is the antidote we’ve always had, but for far too long adults have struggled to take their recommended weekly amount (150 minutes per week). Consequently, many people’s health is now suffering.
Whether you’re a teenager or pensioner, there is a huge amount of scientific data that shows how being physically active through running and other aerobic activities can help you lead a healthier and more fulfilled life.
In this article, we look at the top 7 benefits of running, and how that doing it regularly can help you with your mental and physical health.
Improves your cardiovascular health
We all know the importance of regular aerobic exercise. Not only is it good for heart health, but it also helps to drastically reduce your chances of serious health complications later in life.
It should come as no surprise that running every day, even at a moderate pace, can significantly improve your cardiovascular health.
To put it simply, the more you run the healthier your heart tends to be.
But did you know you can reap all the benefits of running without having to spend hours doing so? According to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, regular runners have a 27% lower risk of early death than non-runners. The same study also found that these benefits could be gained from running once a week (or for 50 minutes a week), and the risk of early death did not reduce if you did more running.
Benefits of running to help lose weight
If you’re looking to improve your physical health, then maintaining a healthy weight is important. In addition to lowering the risk of long-term diseases, it can also lower your risk of developing many cancers.
Studies have shown that moderate to high aerobic exercise like running can help with weight loss by reducing belly fat percentage.
You should aim to run at a pace that’s comfortable for you to get the most benefit. If you can comfortably hold a conversation whilst running, you’re in the aerobic zone, which is perfect for burning calories.
If you want to burn more calories, consider fartlek training. Fartlek training mixes sprint intervals with recovery intervals to help you get faster and stronger. It also burns calories at double the rate of a regular run too so it’s perfect if you’re short on time or want to vary your session.
Has many mental health benefits
You already know that regular running is great for boosting your physical fitness, but did you know it can have many positive effects on your mental health too?
Regular exercise has been proven to lift your mood, improve your sleep, and help you fight depression, anxiety, and stress.
Research shows that you don’t need to devote hours every day to running to reap all the physical and mental benefits of exercise. Just 30 minutes running a day is sufficient enough to boost the mood of someone suffering from stress, anxiety, or depression.
A recent study showed that those who moved at a brisk walking pace received the same benefit as someone who ran. Whether you’re an experienced runner or are just starting out on the couch to 5k, running can be used as a powerful tool to help you boost your mental health.
Improves your memory
If all the above benefits weren’t enough of a reason to make you want to lace up your shoes and get outdoors, new research has shown that there’s yet another reason running is beneficial – it might help to improve your memory.
Neuroscientists at Cambridge University have shown that increased blood flow to areas of the brain resulting from running stimulates the brain to grow new cells involved with working memory and learning.
A few days of running regularly led to the growth of thousands of new cells that improved participants ability to recall memories, a skill that is crucial for learning and other cognitive tasks.
Lowers risk of high blood pressure
A lack of physical activity has been linked to hypertension, and studies have shown that being more active can lower this by keeping the heart and blood vessels in good condition. Regular exercise such as running has been proven to lower blood pressure within just a few weeks.
30 minutes of exercise each day has been proven to be as effective as medication at lowering blood pressure. Short bursts of high-intensity training mixed with steady-state cardio were the most effective method for reducing hypertension.
Can improve knee health
As running is considered an impact sport, many people find it hard to believe that running regularly helps to alleviate many common knee problems.
Knee pain is a common complaint amongst runners, but evidence has shown that running isn’t bad for your knees. In fact, research has shown that it running helps improve the condition of the knees!
One study from 2013 compared 675 marathon runners with non-marathon runners and concluded that the chances of runners suffering from knee osteoarthritis were significantly less than non-runners.
Our bodies are conditioned to take our weight whilst running, and the cartilage and muscles surrounding our knees become stronger with every run.
A great way to meet up with friends (and make new ones)
One of the amazing things about running is that it can be completed solo or as part of a group.
Running with friends is often a great way to train as they help increase your motivation and it can help make running a social experience (you’re much less likely to cancel if you are meeting up with people).
Studies show that individuals who train as part of a running club feel supported during and outside of the run, and participants report creating long-lasting friendships with the running group.
For more information on how to get started on your running journey and the benefits of running, check out our running plans, or for more tips check out our Instagram page
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