Advantages of Running
1. it helps you focus on the task at hand better than walking or jogging, and if you run for longer than 20 minutes, your mind is forced to wander less frequently than it would if you were walking.
2. running releases norepinephrine in the body, which acts as a stimulant in your nervous system. Additionally, running releases dopamine in the brain – both chemicals that help regulate mood and cognition. This makes running an effective method of treating symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety disorders. eg-running helps me feel relaxed during times of stress/anxiety(link)
3. getting people to exercise is a great way to combat depressive symptoms because the more active we are physical, the more diligent we can be mental—the more active the body, the more active the mind is.
4. it strengthens your heart and increases your lung capacity; this makes running an excellent stress reliever for people with anxiety, depression, or other mood disorders. However, it is essential to remember that treadmill running is very different from outdoor running.
5. as you run, your brain releases endorphins – chemicals that block pain messages from being sent to your conscious brain – which means you don’t have to experience all that midday fatigue as severely as other commuters who aren’t logging those extra miles before heading into work!
6. If a person starts a regular exercise program at a young age – say around 40 years old – and continues with it five days a week, they will maintain an equivalent physical performance until they’re 80 years old or older.
7. running may help keep your mind sharp as you age; the health benefits of exercise on brain development and mental cognition at any age are near without bounds, but most studies focus on the elderly. Evidence suggests that practicing aerobic activity such as running can protect against neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
8. running enhances memory by increasing blood flow to your brain(link). A study published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society found that healthy seniors who didn’t run were twice as likely to develop dementia than those who ran regularly.
9. a study of 45,000 Americans showed that men who ran an average of 40 minutes per day lived ten years longer than those who didn’t run at all. And another study found that older runners have a 30% less risk of dying from heart disease and cancer.
10. the social aspect is the best part for me – I run with my wife sometimes! It’s great to be able to share this thing we both love so much !!!
11. Some studies suggest running may improve your immune system; one such study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology concluded: ‘regular aerobic exercise like running can play a pivotal role in immune system health and disease resistance’ (link). Still, more research has revealed that aerobic activity, including running, stimulates the release of white blood cells, which are crucial to fighting infections(link)
12. Running is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercises are the ones that increase your lung capacity and make you sweat. This form of exercise strengthens your heart and helps in weight loss by burning calories.
13. Some people take part in so-called “mud runs” or adventure races over weekends. These races usually last for 5 to 10 kilometers and sometimes much longer, with tasks such as rope climbing, crawling under barriers, leaping over fire, and negotiating obstacles along the way. It’s not unusual for people to participate in these races more than once a month, and running clubs are springing up all over the country to cater to the demand(link).
14. Running helps control weight; it is one of the few exercises that help you lose weight. It burns calories like crazy. It has been calculated that an average-sized adult male will burn about 600 calories by running at 6 km/h for 45 minutes. That is what you call severe calorie burning!
15. even if you run slowly, it still counts. According to some studies(link), walking briskly for half an hour could be equally beneficial because when you go out for a walk, your body starts using glucose immediately, and the impact on insulin and blood sugar levels – both risk factors for diabetes – is significantly lower.
16. Running can boost your sex life; jogging triggers a rush of feel-good chemicals known as endorphins, which makes us more receptive to sexual pleasure(link)
17. now, this might not be very pleasant – but running has been shown to help treat depression(link); it’s believed that all those happy-making chemicals released during and after a run can lift your mood and banish the blues!
18. Even if you’re too busy to fit in regular exercise, just 30 minutes of light or moderate activity each day can reduce your risk of heart disease by 12 percent(link). This includes walking at a leisurely pace.
Disadvantages of running:
1. Many runners injure themselves.
2. Running can damage your joints and back and may even contribute to degenerative arthritis of the spine and hips over time, especially if you’re a heavy runner.
3. As with any cardiovascular exercise, running puts extra stress on the heart and lungs and may lead to high blood pressure in some people when they run too often or for too long at a time without taking a break from it.
4. Running burns up many calories per mile, but the same is true of walking, biking, swimming; almost all exercises burn up many more calories per minute than running does. So you’d have to be lucky (and work very hard) to lose weight by running only a little.
5. Being out in the weather is good for you, but running during or after a thunderstorm can be dangerous because of lightning, not to mention that it’s just plain miserable on rainy days.
6. You have to put up with some pain and effort to get fit by running. However, most runners discover they feel better than ever when they start training for marathons or other races—and the more you run, the faster you’ll be able to cover the ground with minimum effort.
7. Some people aren’t cut out for competitive sports like distance running; others may find long-distance running psychologically tricky because it takes them away from ordinary social settings where they often feel comfortable and don’t have much to say.
8. It’s crucial to run efficiently and not allow yourself to get too tired or winded, which means you’ll need a lot of time to train for longer runs.
9. Running requires equipment like shoes and sportswear that can be expensive (and often isn’t particularly flattering).
10. The pavement is hard on your bones and joints; if you run on the roads that aren’t paved well, there isn’t much cushioning there either, which can lead to injury, physical fatigue, and pain after a long run without rest.
Unexpected benefits of running:
1. When you think about running, the last thing that comes to your mind is how good it can be for your heart or lungs. But studies have shown that even when compared with other forms of exercise, running is great for your cardiovascular system.
2. Running also helps reduce the risk of cancer and improves mental health by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain (serotonin is a mood regulator). Also, it has been proven to delay memory loss in aging adults.
3. You can burn fat, strengthen your immune system and improve the quality of your sleep(link) by running just a little every day.
4. It’s great for people who don’t love working out because you’re only required to do it for about 30 minutes at a time, as opposed to an hour or more with other exercise forms. Also, running is very accessible; all you need is some good shoes and maybe a safe place to run nearby.