Why Do You Run? – Health Benefits of Running, Convenience & More
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People start running for numerous reasons. Some of the reasons include weight loss, health, or competition. Whatever the reason is behind starting out running, you will experience physical, mental, and emotional benefits along the way.
Because of these benefits, thousands of people head out for a run every day. So, why do you run? Is it for competition, health, or weight loss?
In this article, we discuss why people choose to run, and some of the benefits of doing it. So, keep reading to learn more.
Why Start Running? Reasons Why
For many people, running looks hard and unenjoyable. However, after a few months of building up the running, people start to see and feel the benefits. That’s why when you start running, it is important to slowly increase the time or distance. Not just for fitness but also for muscles, tendons, bones, and motivation.
So, why start running when it is so difficult the first few months?
Well, running is relatively inexpensive, compared to going to the gym, playing team sports, or even having a personal trainer.
Running is one of the most convenient ways to exercise. It can be done anywhere and at any time. There is no relying on equipment, people, or travel.
Because of this, more people are using running as the main form of exercise. It allows them to fit it into their busy lifestyle and work.
Besides the convenience of running. There are major health benefits too.
Health Benefits of Running and Jogging
One of the most influential reasons why you should run is the health benefits of running. Running is one of the best ways to strengthen your heart. By doing so, you then help to ensure efficient blood and oxygen flow throughout the body. This, in turn, helps decrease the chances of a heart attack.
Because running helps you maintain a healthy weight, it can also help to reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Not only that it also helps to strengthen your bones and increase bone density. This helps to fend off things like osteoporosis later in life.
Since running offers many health benefits it is often a great way to improve your immune system. Making your body more effective in fighting a virus or sickness.
However, the health benefits of running may not be the only reason why you run. It could also be to lose pounds or help to maintain a healthy weight.
Since running is one of the most vigorous exercises, running is one of the most efficient ways to shed weight. However, if you are already at a healthy weight, running can help you maintain it.
Because running increases your metabolism, the calories burned running is not the only benefit. You will also find that weight loss is increased by having an increased metabolism throughout the day.
However, some people find that running may add more weight. Generally, this is usually caused by overeating and not the running itself. Even though running is one of the best forms of weight loss, it doesn’t mean you get a free card to eat what you want. You still need to look at what and when you eat and try to keep a relatively clean and healthy diet if you want to see the benefits.
Be sure to follow a proper running training plan, and follow a healthy diet. Both will rapidly increase the benefits of regular running.
How Long To See Benefits Of Running
If you are new to running, or previously inactive, improvements will vary. However, most people will start to see cardiorespiratory fitness improve within four to six weeks.
If you have come from another sport or been running regularly, improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness will take slightly longer. Usually, the benefits will start to show within a few months.
When it comes to speed or endurance, the rate of improvement will vary and the improvement will depend mostly on your current fitness level.
For beginners, they will start to see noticeable gains in endurance within 2-4 weeks. While these gains won’t be much, they will be enough to motivate you to keep running.
However, for the more experienced runner, speed and endurance improvements can take months. Again it depends on your current speed and endurance. But generally, with the right training plan, you should see a small progression every week and a larger improvement in speed and endurance after a few months.
If you’re looking for more immediate gratification, running may not be the sport for you. However, if you are wondering how long it will take to see muscle and strength gains, it will roughly take six to eight weeks after starting. However, it is important to know that some body types tend to build muscle more quickly than others. For these types of people, they may see muscle definition develop much quicker than other people.
Regardless of whether you are new to running or a seasoned runner, you should start to see a boost in energy levels relatively quickly. Research has shown that running only 30 minutes a day can improve sleep quality, improve your mood and increase concentration levels. This will not only improve your work but also improve your self-confidence and esteem.
However, when it comes to weight loss, everyone will be different. the amount of weight loss will depend on your body type, how much you run, and your current diet. Knowing this anywhere between 500g-1kg of weight loss every 2 weeks is a relatively normal progression rate. However, this will change depending on your diet and the amount you run.
As long as you are following a clean and healthy diet, increasing your mileage slowly, your weight should slowly decrease over time. If it doesn’t, try increasing the amount you run, or look at your current diet and try to reduce the calories slightly.
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Why Do You Run?
So the question goes – Why do you run? Is it for health benefits, weight loss, convenience, or something else?
As a running coaching company, we love to learn why you run and love to listen to different people’s journey into this form of exercise.
Reach out to us on Instagram or through our contact page. We would love to publish an article about your journey.
