Is running good for you?
Running regularly can bring a wide range of benefits to your life. The physical benefits are undoubtedly up there, but running will have more than just a physical impact on your life. There’s the positive change it will have on your mental health. That’s before we even get started on the social aspect and the community you’ll soon be a part of. So is running good for you? Perhaps we should be asking ourselves, why would running not be good for you? Let’s explore some benefits running will bring to your life.
Running improves cardiovascular health
Running is a great way to improve your cardiovascular fitness. Having a greater cardiovascular capacity reduces the risk of conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and strokes. runbritain advise that running makes the heart stronger and more efficient through your muscles demanding a good supply of oxygen and energy.
Boosts your social life
Running will bring heaps of social opportunities to your life. From joining your local club, entering races, joining in run meetups and heading to parkrun on Saturdays. All of these are opportunities for you to meet old friends and make new ones. The running community prides itself on being inclusive to every runner and you’ll never be short of having someone to go for a run with!
Improves your mental health
It’s proven that simply going for a run will boost your mood. When you run, endorphins and serotonin are released into your body and improve your mood. Running is your time where you can reflect and process thoughts. It’s often mentioned between runners that when they are dealing with the stresses of everyday life, going for a run helps them to slow down and tackle why they might be feeling stressed. Running outside will boost your mental health further by breathing in fresh air and connecting with the world and nature around you.
Allows you to explore new places
From travelling to races out of the area to meeting up with running friends at a park for a run. Running lets you explore parts of your local area or somewhere new that driving past wouldn’t normally allow you to do. Get out and explore somewhere new in the next town. You never know what local treasures you may come across!
Running is a pretty cheap sport
To get started running you just need the basics. A technical running t-shirt, pair of shorts or leggings, a pair of running trainers and a jacket if it’s cold or raining. Yes, there are all the fancy gadgets from watches to heart rate monitors but don’t fret if you don’t have them. They aren’t going to stop you from going for a run. How much you spend is personal preference but I’d recommend sticking to a low budget buying only what you need to get started. Visiting your local running store to have gait analysis completed will match you with the trainers that are most suitable for you. This is an investment worth making to avoid injuries in the long run, excuse the pun!
Running can help you lose weight (if that’s your goal)
There’s no denying hitting the streets and moving faster than normal will increase the calories you burn. If losing weight is your goal, running can be a great catalyst for this. Running involves you moving your entire body, continuously. Regular running and a balanced diet will enable you to maintain a healthy body and weight.
It’s free
Aside from buying some basic kit (unless you can wangle some hand-me-downs or add it to your birthday list), running is a free sport. You can run completely for free by just heading out your door and getting started. How about heading to your local parkrun on Saturday morning which is a free timed 5k event? If you fancy setting yourself some running challenges, you’ll find a whole host of free training resources and plans online or on YouTube.
With so many benefits that running can bring to your life, the only answer to is running good for you, is YES!
Photo by Miguel A. Amutio on Unsplash