Research shows that running can significantly transform an individual’s state of mind and physical healthfor the better. There are numerous reasons why you should consider adding this cardio activity into your routine. With the right gear, it can be a highly beneficial hobby to indulge in, whether alone or with friends.
Running is an aerobic exercise packed with numerous benefits for your body, head to toe. It helps boost your self-image, promotes higher brain function, keeps health problems at bay, and generally keeps your body in a competent state. It is also known to promote a healthier, youthful, and longer life.
There are many reasons to run, and going through them all might be difficult. Let us explore a few remarkable ways that running can impact your body and brain.
Table of Contents
Improved cardiovascular and respiratory health
Running on its own can help considerably improve your cardiovascular health as well as your respiratory performance. When you run, you exercise your heart muscles and vessels, which helps to promote better blood circulation throughout your body and mind. A run of even about 30 minutes can go a long way in ensuring that your heart stays in a healthy state. It can also significantly reduce the chances of suffering from conditions like heart attacks and strokes.
Your respiratory system will also benefit from this aerobic activity through the exercise of practicing balanced and controlled breathing.
Muscle tenacity and physical fitness
Just as with any other exercise, running goes a long way in helping you build your muscle tenacity. With time, your body muscles become toned, and you become stronger and sturdier as you continue running. Not only will it help you maintain good physical fitness, but running can also help you avoid or deal with knee and back problems. It can also considerably help you improve your bone structure, resulting in healthier and stronger bones.
Running helps you attain an overall better body posture enabling you to live a more healthy life and active lifestyle.
Fine-tuned body systems
Aerobic exercises like running can significantly aid in curbing the risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseases. Practicing a more active lifestyle helps to encourage your blood vessels and body organs to work out. When you run, your heart starts pushing blood through your body at a faster rate, stimulating your vessels and organs to work harder. The glucose in your body is converted to energy for your muscles to use during the running exercise. As a result, this reduces your chances of getting high blood sugar.
When you run, you can live and experience life to its fullest potential. It helps regulate your blood pressure and burn calories, lowering your risk of getting conditions like hypertension and obesity. Studies show that running also outstandingly reduces your chances of getting cancer.
Improved working memory and focus
Running enables you to become more creative and productive at anything you do. It stimulates your brain’s learning and information processing capabilities and boosts your overall mental performance. It does so by increasing the production of cortisol in your body which you need for information retention and improved working memory. Running also activates your brain function tremendously, allowing you to enjoy higher attention spans and greater cognitive flexibility.
Engaging in aerobic exercises like running also stimulates the generation of fresh grey matter in the brain. It results in the production of numerous new brain cells, thereby expanding your mental capacity. An increased mental capacity allows you to be more focused and better at dealing with challenges efficiently and effectively. Running can also help individuals break bad habits and encourage them to make smarter and healthier decisions in life.
Stress management and mood elevator
Ever heard of ‘runners high’? Yes, this aerobic activity has been known to give runners some form of natural high. It is because running can instantly elevate your mood and help boost your self-confidence significantly. When you run, your body releases endorphins which are also known as feel-good hormones. They function like antidepressants and reduce tension and anxiety levels. Once they are released, your mind and body feel more relaxed, allowing you to deal with stressful situations more calmly and with confidence.
Running also helps to encourage better sleep which is essential for your body’s development. If you struggle with issues like insomnia, try to add running to your daily routine, even if just for 20 minutes.
Without a doubt, running can significantly transform your body, mind, and overall lifestyle for the better. There are numerous resources in the market to enable you to enjoy this exercise to the fullest. Such resources include a vast availability of quality running shoes for men and women, activewear, and complementary running gear to heighten your experience even more.
