We are almost a full week into 30 days of running and this is usually the point where the body just wants a break. To keep focused, I want to share with you 10 benefits of running that every women can take advantage of today!
10 Benefits to Running for Women
1. Add Years to your Life
Runners have been found to live an average of 3 years longer than non-runners. Now living a longer life is great and all, but a long life doesn’t mean very much when you are trapped in a wheelchair or bed bound. A recent study found that runners and bicyclists at age 75 who had been constantly active for the past 50 years had biological profiles closer to 25-year old grad students! With that, I can get behind moving my body for the next 50 years!
2. Mental Health
Being honest, this is one of the reasons that I still run to this day. It is probably the only thing I do that actually shuts my brain off, and probably because I am talking myself through finishing the run every single time. If you have ever needed a little time to yourself, running is a great time to do it. A 2016 study found these astonishing findings about exercise:
1. Exercise is an. Effective treatment for depression
2. Exercises is as effective as prescription meds & psychotherapy
And let’s not forget that runner’s high that happens once you start hitting the pavement. Cue the endorphins!
3. Improves Cognitive Function
Running improves brain health by stimulating the release of BDNF or brain-derived neurotrophic factor. BDNF helps neurons grow and survive in the brain. Even if you don’t begin running until later in life, high fitness helps protect against brain plaques that are linked to Alzheimers and cognitive decline.
4. Weight Loss
You can burn over 600 calories during an hour run. While I am more into intuitive eating and not counting calories, it is important to note that weight loss occurs when you are fueling your body with nutrients that nourish your body while being in a caloric deficit. Just adding one run a week to your workout routine can significantly help if you are trying to lose weight.
5. Increase Bone Density
While I could never figure out how bone density actually changes before, it turns out that your body sends minerals to bones when stressed. The additional minerals in the bones helps strengthen them. And as you guessed it, running causes a lot of stress to your bones so the minerals come flooding in!
6. Strengthen Lungs
Running creates stronger lungs and helps lessen any asthma effects you might experience. When you first start running, you might find that you are short of breath very quickly. The more you run, the more efficient your lungs become at processing the amount of oxygen you take it and getting it out to your muscles faster. The more you run, the better your body gets at this process!
7. Sleep Better
Contrary to popular belief, working out in the evening can help you sleep better according to a study from John Hopkins. You don’t need to workout in the evening for better sleep, any workout will help you have a more restful sleep and in-turn higher recovery. After-all, sleeping is where most of the recovery magic happens! The sleep-exercise connection also goes both ways. The more you sleep, the more quality sleep your body requires. If you have irregular sleep patterns, you are less likely to workout regularly.
8. Stronger Immune System
Running promotes a stronger immune system. Runners suffer less from minor illnesses such as colds, allergies, fatigue, menstrual discomfort, and digestive issues.
9. Helps Relieve Menopause Symptoms
Ok this one is definitely for the ladies. All women will experience menopause at some point in their life. A lot of the symptoms include changes in body composition, hot flashes, joint pain, reduced bone density, fatigue, mood swings, and depression. As you recall from all of the points mentioned above, running helps with all of these things!
10. Running is Good for the Heart
Running is one of the easiest forms of cardio you can do! Even just running 5-10 minutes a day at slower speeds is associated with lowering the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The coolest part is that every time you run, you decrease your resting heart rate which means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard!
There are so many more awesome benefits to running, these are just a few! Time to get out there and get running! As always, be sure to check out more running tips this month to implement along the way!
xoxo
Krysta
