When it comes to running, most people know that it’ll help lose weight and gain muscle. While these are two great benefits, there are also benefits that aren’t as well known. Here is a list of 10 benefits from running you may not know!
- Decreased stress
- High levels of stress seem inevitable for just about everybody. From the corporate businesswoman to the stay-at-home dads, it is a part of our lives. Running can help to alleviate that stress by getting your blood pumping and helps to release endorphins which make us feel better!
- Improves memory
- The muscles in your legs aren’t the only muscles that get benefits from running! Running helps to reduce inflammation which hurts the brain. Studies also show that regular exercise may help to increase the size of the parts of the brain that are associated with memory!
- Boosts mood
- Those endorphins that we discussed earlier can also help to boost your mood.
Not only do endorphins, the feel-good neurotransmitters from the brain, decrease stress, they also make you feel better and have a better outlook on life.
- Those endorphins that we discussed earlier can also help to boost your mood.
- Boosts immune system
- When it comes to your immune system, running can absolutely help to strengthen it. However, you need to be careful not to over-train. While moderate amounts of running have shown to increase your immune function, over-training can cause an increase in cold-like illnesses. The bottom line, moderate running (less than 20 miles per week) can strengthen your immune system.
- Improves Complexion
- When you run, your heart is required to pump harder to get more blood to your leg muscles. That increased blood flow also reaches other parts of your body, like your face. This increased blood flow helps to clean out the tissues in your face which leads to an improved complexion.
- Oxygenates body
- Once again, we find that increased blood flow from running and exercise can benefit your health. Increased blood flow and increased breathing while running cause your blood to start carrying a higher amount of oxygen. Oxygen is extremely important in muscle function. Whether it be your legs when running, your stomach when digesting, or your brain, everything will work better with increased levels of oxygen!
- Clears arteries
- This health benefit is a bit of a misnomer. Running and the associated increase in blood flow will not only help to clear out an artery, it will also prevent any arterial blockage in the first place! Win-win! An increase in blood flow in major large muscles will prevent plaque from accumulating in the arteries and can help to clear the arteries out.
- Reduces risk of type II diabetes
- Type II diabetes is a condition in which the body is unable to properly use sugars. The chemical needed to break down sugars is insulin; hence why Type II diabetes is a form of Insulin Resistance. This form of diabetes usually presents in adults that are overweight and unhealthy. Getting out and running, along with a proper diet, is a great way to stay in shape and, not only prevent Type II diabetes, but eliminate it altogether!
- Detoxifies body
- The human body is always trying to “detoxify” itself. The primary “waste
removal” systems in our bodies are blood and lymph. If you increase your blood flow, like with running, you’ll have a larger “waste removal” system. The lymphatic system runs along and through the major muscles groups in the body. The more you can contract and use those muscles, the more lymph activity there is. Running targets multiple sets of large muscle groups to ensure that lymph activity is at its peak.
- The human body is always trying to “detoxify” itself. The primary “waste
- Maintains mobility
- When it comes to your body, movement is life. If the human body had a phrase or a motto, I believe it would be “Move it, or lose it!” If you stop using a part
of your body, whether it be physical or cognitive, your body will stop trying to keep it strong. We are taught to keep using our brains so we can keep our minds sharp, the same goes with our bodies. Running is a great way to get out and allow for full motion of almost every joint. Keep moving so you can stay healthy!
- When it comes to your body, movement is life. If the human body had a phrase or a motto, I believe it would be “Move it, or lose it!” If you stop using a part
