Author: Dave Kelly

Top 10 Benefits of Running

In this article I lay out  some of the top 10 Benefits of Running.

But before you read any further or dust off those brand new trainers lying in the back of your closet, maybe you should also consider if these benefits are worth sharing with those closest to home.

“With the top benefits of running including; Improved Health, Disease Prevention, Confidence, Stress Relief, as well as Mind  Development and Co-ordination development don’t you think they are worth sharing with your children?”

Today both parents and children are living fast passed busy lifestyles. Muchof the family budget is spent on gyms or fitness classes such as pilates, yoga, aerobics and more for the parents or clubs and extra sporting activities for the kids. When running together as a family could be an easy affordable way to both save some money, hang out and share the undoubted healthy fun that running can provide.

So when you get ready for your next run and are preparing your favorite energizing and feel good tunes on your ipod. Why not allow your son or daughter to do the same? So you can head out together and run!

Set a date, do it together help motivate each other, reward each other. Maybe you could make this a fun part of your weekly routine. Be healthy as a family and share the following benefits with your children.

1. Win the battle of the bulge.

Many people start running in order to win the battle of the bulge. Whether they are obese or just want to lose that last ten pounds, or even if they just want to stay at the weight they are at, approximately 60 percent of runners start running to manage their weight. Running is one of the top activities for burning fat. In fact, with the exception of cross country skiing, running burns more calories per minute than any other form of cardiovascular exercise.

2. Prevent muscle and bone loss.

Our bones are made to accommodate the demands placed upon them. By sitting in front of the monitor all day many of us allow our bones to grow weaker, but by running regularly our skeleton gets the demand it needs to stay healthy. In addition to keeping our insides from aging quickly, regular, high-intensity exercise, like running, has also been proven to promote the human growth hormone, which celebrities have taken injections of for years to keep them looking young.

3. Fight disease.

Running reduces the risk of stroke and breast cancer. Regular running has become a treatment option for doctors to prescribe to patients who are at a high risk, or early stages, of osteoporosis, diabetes, and hypertension. It reduces the risk of heart attacks, by strengthening the heart and lowering blood pressure. Running maintains the elasticity of arteries incredibly well because as you run your arteries expand and contract nearly three times as much as usual.

4. Maintain and improve general health.

Running is one of the best activities most people can do to improve their health. It raises HDL (or “good”) cholesterol, reduces the risk of blood clots, and encourages use of the 50 percent of your lungs that usually go unused. Running also boost the immune system by creating a higher concentration of lymphocytes (white blood cells that attack disease).

5. Get confident.

Jogging builds confidence and self-esteem like few other individual sports can. It allows the runner to defeat trial after trial, growing stronger and more sure of themselves with each footstrike. It allows you to truly climb hills and clear obstacles. It provides a feeling of empowerment and freedom that comes with knowing that your legs and body are strong and capable. Confidence is even more a product of running for those who lose weight and gain a better self-image through running.

6. Stress relief.

This is another huge benefit of jogging. Whether by allowing you the time to think about life’s problems or time to escape them for awhile, tension easily flies by the wayside as you fly over the miles. Distance runs are great for solving headaches and problems that are nagging at you. What could be better than a three hour run all by yourself to clear your mind and allow you to pin down an answer? Speed runs are great for tearing through aggression and anger. Focus all that emotion into a few sprints and you’ll feel better in no time.

7. The famous “Runner’s high.”

Aside from just the stress relief, jogging has also been proven to improve attitude. Running, especially outside and on trails, creates a release of endorphins that can cause euphoria (runner’s high) or just a general sense of happiness. Running has been used for years to treat clinical depression and addictions of all kinds. Less tension, less depression, less fatigue, and less confusion are just a few of the changes that patients have seen after beginning a regular running program. Running gives something for them to focus on, allowing them to see something besides their depressed state or addiction.

8. Train your mind.

Along that line, running can help train the mind as much as it trains the body. By making yourself overcome the obstacles that running brings, you learn focus and determination. The will and strength that gets your body through long runs or those runs you’d much rather skip is what in turn strengthens your mind and gives you focus and determination in other areas of your life.

9. Improve coordination.

Another worthwhile benefit which may be gained from running. This may seem surprising to many who assume it is not possible to gain these types of benefits from running simply because it is such a simple sport. However, there is some coordination involved in running. Trail running which involves running on unpaved trails especially requires a great deal of coordination. The uneven surface combined with obstacles such as rocks and tree roots can make trail running quite difficult. However, runners who regularly run on these types of services, quickly learn to maintain better control over their bodies to prevent tripping and stumbling while running.

10. Versatility.

Not many sports can be done almost anywhere with almost no gear. I’m sure the ancient Greeks would argue that even shoes and clothes aren’t required, as their Olympians were quite the minimalists. Today, we just need a good pair of running shoes and off we go. From urban sidewalks to rural trails and all the real estate in between, the world is loaded with places for runners to explore. Travel a lot? There’s always room in your suitcase for a pair of sneakers. The world is your gym, go re-discover it.

http://ririanproject.com/2007/10/22/10-benefits-of-running-and-how-to-do-it/

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