How Running Can Save Your Life

And Transform Both Your Body And Your Brain.

While some people look forward to running, others dread it, and find it to be an extremely tedious activity. Yet we all still do it.. why?

We still do it, because wether you enjoy it or force yourself to do it, running is a highly effective and beneficial form of physical activity. In addition to being extremely practical and accessible; it doesn’t require any equipment, and it can be done in any place, at any time of the day, by anyone. Running has a big number of scientifically proven benefits, both to our physical and our psychological health.

Now, I won’t tell you that running is easy, because it’s not. Getting yourself into running can be excruciating and unbearable. But what I will tell you though, is that it gets better. Although I had always been a relatively athletic person (having participated in different sports since a young age), I had never engaged in running. And it wasn’t until recently that I decided to give it a try. And so the first time that I ran, I averaged at 9 minutes and 31 seconds per 1 km. The next week, my average was 8 minutes and 24 seconds. The third week, it had lowered down to 7 minutes and 39 seconds per 1km. By the 4th week, my average pace had dropped down to 6 minutes and 47 seconds per 1k. The rest is history.

Your body isn’t just a temple, it is a powerful machine that does SO MUCH for you. Taking care of it is essential to leading a successful and balanced life, and engaging in healthy habits such as running (it’s never too late to start!), is an investment in yourself and in your future.

I have curated a list of reasons why running can save and extend your life.

1. Running Positively Affects Your Mental Health

• According to a study made in 2006 published in Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise, runners cope better better with stress and anxiety. Indeed, when you run, your body releases endorphin — which are chemicals that enhance your mood, and lower your stress levels. Now we all know that elevated stress levels directly relate to poor sleep quality and mood swings. Running forces your body to release these chemicals, and quite literally, release the negativity and frustration out of you, which will automatically result in an ameliorated mood, better sleep quality, and more focus
• Running can also increase self confidence. By setting and achieving goals, you give yourself a sense of empowerment, which will translate into a much more positive, clear and productive mindset.

2. Running Keeps Your Brain Healthy

Research indicates that running can keep the brain healthy. In fact, a Theoretical Review published in 2012 suggested that aerobic exercise (which includes running, jogging, and fast-walking), benefits all the different age groups:

• improves memory and concentration for children,
• ameliorates memory and sharpness for adults
• heightens sharpness, attention and memory for seniors and older adults.

Indeed, multiple studies showcase that running regularly can help mantain the brain’s sharpness, and delay mental decline as well as dementia related illnesses. Particularly for senior individuals, it was found that running regularly improves language, concentration, as well as overall brain function by up to almost 50%.

3. Running Helps With Weight Management

Running is a highly efficient way to achieve and / or mantain a healthy weight, because it burns a lot of calories and allows you to lose fat. And the more you run, the more you’ll boost your “afterburn” — i.e. the number of calories you burn after you run. You read it right, you’ll burn calories even after you end your run. Incredible!

4. Running Improves Physical Health

Running can indeed improve your health in more than one way:

• Ameliorates cardiovascular health: aerobic activity is good for your heart, because running enhances cardiovascular fitness and endurance. Research suggests that people who run have healthier hearts than those who don’t.
• Reduces risk of cancer: according to the Journal of Nutrition, running reduces your risk of cancer. And if you do have cancer, then it improves your quality of life while you’re undergoing chemo.
• Betters overall health: running raises your levels of good cholesterol, and increases lung function. It can equally boost your immune system, reduce your stroke risks, as well as lower your blood clot risk.

5. Running Improves Knee Health

Contrary to the general conception, running is actually not “bad for your knees”. In fact, science has proven that running increases your bone mass, which in return helps you prevent bone related illnesses. It can also improve your joint stability, as long as it’s practiced correctly and with the right gear of course!

6. Running Adds Years To Your Life

Studies show that running can, quite literally, add years to your life. Even with just 30 minutes of running, twice a week, you’ll live longer. If you get 45 minutes of running, 3 times a week, you’ll live even longer. Statistics show that cancer survivors who run, gained 5 years, whereas individuals with heart diseases and smokers extended their lives by 4 years, and non-smokers added 3 years.

Running helps you maintain a healthy life. It has a large amount of both physical and psychological benefits; it transforms both your body and brain. And as difficult as it is, investing in yourself and in your future is your duty, because running can, and will, save your life.

What are you still doing here? Go RUN! And don’t forget your warmups!