Reasons to Run

Maybe you woke up this morning wanting to make a change. You think to yourself while you’re laying in bed, “what can I do differently?” Maybe you’re a risk taker or maybe doing something different completely terrifies you. Do you know what’s not so terrifying? Something that’s exhilarating and liberating and freeing? Running. This might not be what you were expecting – but hear me out. Running has been around since as long as we can remember and has many social, physical and mental benefits to take into consideration.

Social
Running has always been and will continue to be incredibly social. There are so many people that are wanting to achieve the same running benefits that you’re after that you will always have someone by your side. You can join running clubs or attend running events. Whether you’re new in town and need to make some friends or you need that extra push of someone telling you not to stop and to keep going.

Physical
Before you start anything with a high activity level you should always get medically cleared for the activity you’re choosing. One of the main reasons anyone takes up running is to lose unwanted pounds. Running burns calories while building muscle – which in turn will increase your metabolism. A higher metabolism means you’ll burn even more calories when your body is at rest then if you weren’t running.

What people don’t directly see is running’s ability to fight off anything from a cold to something as serious as cancer. It can also decrease your chances of dealing with health issues later on in your life such as osteoporosis, which is a decline in your bone density. Something as simple as five minutes of running and fifteen minutes of brisk walking can reduce a man or women’s blood pressure dramatically.

Mental
Runners say they experience a “runners high” which is explained as a calm, euphoric and clear state one reaches after they finish a long run. Maybe this isn’t you. You go for a run and you don’t get that “high” everyone refers to. That’s not to say you get other advantages such as the ability to relieve stress and conquer depression.

So even after alllllll of this – you’re not convinced yet? Okay how about these…

• A 160 lb man can burn up to 600 calories a hour running at 5mph
• 2.5 hours of running increases male testosterone levels by 15%
• Approximately 0.5% of the U.S. population has run a marathon
• Runners who played sports when they were young are 50% less likely to suffer from fractures and injuries
• Running works out 26 bones, 33 joints, 112 ligaments and tons of tendons, nerve and blood vessels

There’s plenty more where that came from. If you’re still not convinced or maybe you’re just a little curious – I highly encourage you to continue your research on running. For myself, I’ve never been much of a runner but I’m a little closer to liking it after reading these body benefits.