If you’re starting out on your health and exercise journey, then thinking about running could be off-putting, but there are some great health benefits to running regularly that will give you another incentive to getting those running shoes on and getting out there.
Running is a great exercise to get into, and it can be relatively cheap if you want it to be. There are many ways it can benefit your health, both physical and mental. In this article, we’ll run through some of the benefits of running, we recommend running between 3-4 times a week if you’re an experienced runner or 2-3 times a week when just starting out.
Benefits of running
Physical:
Better heart health – running regularly can help your cardiovascular system by strengthening the heart, reducing the risk of heart disease and improve your blood circulation.
Increased muscle strength – when you run, you engage several muscle groups, mainly in the legs and arms so if you keep up with a running programme, then these will only get stronger, helping you to get fitter and faster.
Better endurance and stamina – if you continue to run and are training for your first 5k race, then all those runs will help build your endurance, giving you the ability to run longer distances and do other sports or exercises within your training regime.
Mental:
Helps with sleep – Any form of exercise done regularly can help you with better sleep patterns and improve your quality of sleep. Keeping up with your running plan can be exactly what you need to get your sleeping habits back into a regular pattern.
Get the endorphins flowing – When you run, your body releases endorphins also known as the ‘feel-good’ hormones. With these flowing through your body, you’ll feel more relaxed, leading to a reduction in stress, anxiety and this may help you if you have depression.
Social interaction – While it might not be thought of as a mental health benefit, it definitely can be. Having people to run with socially, can help with your mental health and wellbeing as you’re running with friends, you can blow off steam about problems or just stay silent and enjoy the moment.
Running regularly is a great way to get into exercise, it can be done on your own or with some friends and you can do it to it around your busy lifestyle. Don’t forget to warm up before your run and cool down with some stretches afterwards to ensure your muscles stay strong and healthy.