WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF RUNNING?
P H Y S I C A L B E N E F I T S
Strengthens Your Lungs
Helps Prevent High Blood Pressure
HARMONY & RAGE
THE REAL STORY
Strengthens Immune System
Weight Control
B E N E F I T S O F R U N N I N G
physical & mental benefits
Strengthens Your Lungs
Strengthens Immune System
Helps Prevent High Blood Pressure
Weight Control
HARMONY & RAGE
THE REAL STORY
People are built to run-- The human body is shaped the way that it is so that we can be more effective in running. The shape of our feet, our legs, our hips and our ability to sweat make it possible for us to run for long periods of time. For that reason, it is not surprising that running is strongly associated with numerous health benefits for our bodies.
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Did you know that running can...
Aerobic activity is good for your heart-- the more people run, the healthier hearts they tend to have. According to the Journal of American College of Cardiology, running just for five minutes per day could add years to your life. Researchers have found that people who run for at least 40 miles per week have healthier hearts than of those do not. (Duck-chul, L. 2014)
Give You Stronger Lungs
Hypertension is very common for the general population. Being inactive is linked to having high blood pressure, inversely, increasing activity will help reduce your blood pressure. Excess weight, in general causes your heart to work harder-- and this increases hypertension and even other diseases like diabetes and high cholesterol. Running can lower blood pressure and decrease the production of glucose. There are many positive effects of running, especially to help preventing heart diseases.
Prevent High Blood Pressure
Spending 30 minutes on a treadmill can be enough to lift the symptoms of depressive moods on people who suffer from major depressive disorders. Moving has positive effects on the body, and no matter the pace of your jog or run-- it can help improve your mood and help fight depression. Those who run also find themselves a better time sleeping at night. This leads to improved psychological functions and better focus through the next day!
Helps people sleep better, improves mood and focus
We know that running burns calories, and burning calories mean weight loss. Running helps you lose or maintain weight. Studies have shown that regular running can boost "afterburn" which are the number of calories that you burn after you exercise. This is also called EPOC- excess post oxygen consumption. While running, this happens when you're at an intensity that's about 70% of your VO2 max. So you don't have to run as if you're in a marathon!
Help With Weight Control
It's known that running increases your bone mass. Running is a weight bearing activity, meaning that it forces you to work against gravity. Working against gravity improves on bone mass and even helps prevent other age-related bone loss. Studies have shown that running improves on knee health, by increasing joint strength & stability. According to this one year study done with 2,637 participants, researchers found that the more people ran, the less likely they were to suffer from osteoarthritis.
Increase Bone Density
Ever heard of the saying that "Exercise is medicine"? Well, it's not only a saying that goes around; it's the truth! Scientific research has supported that regular exercise (running in particular) has given many health benefits that extend well beyond any pill that a physician could prescribe. Running helps prevent type II diabetes, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and more!
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HOW CAN I MENTALLY PREPARE MYSELF?
Getting up to go running can be one of the most difficult things for someone to accomplish. What we don’t realize, it is not really the act of running that is the hard part, and rather it is getting into the proper mental state to get ready to go for a run. One way to solve this issue is by having even the smallest goals, just to get the ball rolling. Try focusing on realistic goals such as “I want to run for 3 minutes,” or “Lets run to the end of the block and back,” rather than running for 2 miles straight. Keeping your goals simple is one of the best ways to tell your brain that running isn’t as bad as you think it is. The reward you feel from accomplishing those goals will lead to furthering your journey into your new hobby.
WHAT ARE YOU SCARED OF?
Nerves, jitters, fears, everyone has these feelings when it comes to sport and competition. Let’s say you have adopted this new hobby and want to try some type of competition such as a marathon or triathlon. That’s great, but where’s your head at now? When your psychological mindset is being counterproductive, these thoughts can negatively affect your performance (Gee, C. J. 2010). These emotions create a tax on our body and mind that we cannot afford. We create scenarios in our head that make things worse than they really are but we need to remind ourselves that those are only made up scenarios and separate those from facts. These feelings can lead to anxiety, self-doubt, and anger. This mindset only creates irrational beliefs, and tells yourself that your self-worth is only realized by your athletic achievements (Gee, C. J. 2010). Release these emotions and free yourself from this anchor so that you can breakthrough this mental barrier.
OVERALL...
The answer to fighting self-doubt comes from within. The power of positivity is all you need to ensure that you will have a great run. When you realize that your self-worth comes from within and not the importance of winning or losing, that is when your identity is made and the fears of failure are gone (Gee, C. J. 2010). Keeping a positive outlook while on your run is not only empowering but also a great mental distraction. Reiterating phrases like “I feel strong” or “I can do this”, helps keep you motivated and shows a mentally positive outlook not only in running but competitions, races and your goals (Bales, J., & Bales, K. 2012). Just the fact that you got up and decided to run shows that you are a person who cares about himself or herself to be active. Reminders of where you started and how far you have come along really help keep your mental wellness strong. Positive self-talk can also provide you with a good distraction to your run. Things such as positive words, singing a song, or doing a math problem are all strategies that triathletes use to help them complete their race (Bales, J., & Bales, K. 2012). For further tips, check out this article to see more ways you can mentally prepare yourself for running. The last part of this mental process is to remember to have fun and to celebrate your victories.
TYPES OF RUNNING:
outdoor vs. indoor
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BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR RUNNING
Running can be quite tedious and especially for those that despise hearing the word, running, it can be difficult to find motivation to get out and move. Whether it’s indoor or outdoor running, it depends on the person. Some evidence suggests, “that outdoor running may often be better for us because of the greater likelihood of encountering greenery,” (Hitchings, 2016). There’s more variety for those that enjoy fresh air and the outdoors. There’s a change of environments too. One is not limited to track running, or to machine running like treadmills. Some people like to run with their friends, talk without the distraction of televisions or music. Some simply just enjoy the sounds of nature. Studies have shown that outdoor running could be a better stress reliever in the sense that you’re not enclosed in a building and you’re breathing fresh air (Hitchings, 2016).
BENEFITS OF INDOOR RUNNING
There are the other people that enjoy indoor running, or maybe find this more convenient. You have a treadmill that sets the pace for you, and you can zone out with the televisions in the gym, or the music wired to your ears. In Hitchings and Latham’s experiment of indoor verse outdoor running, they mentioned, “For our indoor runners it was exactly because running may be experienced as something people naturally do that they find it so easy to stay on the treadmill,” (Hitchings, 2016). Some people find it routine and habit, you jump on a treadmill, you select a speed and duration for how long you want to run, and let everything guide you. All you have to do is show up and move your legs.
OVERALL...
Running is a natural movement. Whether people like it or not, or realize that they incorporate running into their lives at some point, it is essential and a privilege to be able to run. Find something that works for you, whether you want to zone out to music and running on a treadmill not worrying about your terrain, or if you enjoy running outdoors, get a group of friends to go with you or just enjoy what nature has to offer as you run. What are your intentions on running? This website, gives you a great layout of indoor versus outdoor running and different events in your area to get you involved in running!
​Running can be great exercise that is widely accessible and cheap for most people. The beginning of a running routine can be confusing, though, when you don’t even know what kind of shoes to buy to start out, or other techniques when it comes to running. Here are some answers to questions that can help get you started and then help keep you going and healthy!
RUNNING TECHNIQUES
Running doesn’t need very much equipment, but one thing that is important is the choice of running shoes. There are shoes ranging from thick cushioning to minimalist footwear, and then some people even run barefoot. One of the most important aspects when choosing a pair of running shoes is your own comfort filter (Nigg, 2015). In a study done by Dr. BM Nigg, it was found that the amount of running injuries in the last 40 years has not really changed even though shoes are improving. This is because “… an athlete selects a comfortable product using his/her own comfort filter. This automatically reduced the injury risk and may be a possible explanation for the fact that there does not seem to have been a trend in running injury frequencies over time” (Nigg, 2015, p. 1294). Some people prefer soft, cushioned shoes while others prefer a harder sole or minimalist shoe. The most important thing is to get what is most comfortable to you, because running form plays a bigger part in running injury and pain, which leads to the next question.
WHAT SHOES SHOULD I WEAR?
HOW SHOULD MY FORM LOOK?
A running form where the anterior part of the foot (more toward the toes than the heel, or the ball of the foot) strikes the ground first puts less stress on the knees. When runners strike with their heel first, it puts more pressure on the quadriceps which cause the knees to extend (Goss, 2012). Knee injuries are one of the most common injuries with running, so putting less stress on the knees is optimal. In a study done that looked at different running patterns, “Runners reporting greater than one year of using a rearfoot strike patter reported a one year injury incidence of 52.4%, while experienced midfoot strikers 34.7%, and experienced forefoot strikers reported an injury incidence of 22.8%” (Goss, 2012, p. 28). So, running form should be with a forefoot strike since it could lessen the risk of injury by more than half according to this study.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON INJURIES I CAN AVOID?
Knee injuries, ankle injuries, and lower leg pain (like shin splints) are some of the most common running injuries. Knee injuries can be lessened by a forefoot strike like we discussed in the last question. Running in minimalist shoes can help a runner produce a forefoot strike, and this lowers both knee and ankle injury occurrence (Goss, 2012). Wearing shoes that match your running style is an important factor in avoiding injuries. Heel strike runners should wear thicker sole shoes to protect the knees, while forefoot runners could wear minimalist footwear. Stretching after a run can help reduce lower leg pain as well. The Sports Trauma and Overuse Prevention (STOP) Sports Injuries organization, founded by American Orthopaedic Society for Sports medicine (AOSSM), lists ways that the most common running injuries can be avoided. This article by STOP Sports Injuries discusses that stretching is an important part of an exercise routine to reduce the risk of injury.
