How does running benefit you

Instead, according to a meta-analysis published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings , running just 50 minutes per week—the equivalent of one six-mile run or two 5Ks—can protect the body from risk for stroke, arthritis, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and some cancers. When taken together, all the health benefits of running could actually help you live longer. In fact, runners have a 25 to 40 percent reduced risk of premature mortality and live about three years longer than non-runners, according to a study published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases.

What's more, runners who also regularly took up other aerobic physical activities, such as cycling, swimming, walking, basketball, and racquet sports, had the greatest mortality benefit, with a 43 percent lower risk of death, per the study.

So if you've been itching to skip your morning run and try that indoor cycling class , take this research as a reason to give it a go. Save FB Tweet More. Women running. Never been a fan of running? We're about to change your mind. Start chasing these awesome benefits of running. Start Slideshow. Woman checking heart rate.

Woman resting after running. Woman running in the city. Woman stretching legs after running. Group of women running. Woman running on street. Women chatting after a run. Woman tying shoe laces. Women jogging. Benefits of running - women running on trail. Replay gallery. It's often a sign of overtraining or a need to improve one's form or flexibility. But running probably isn't the cause of knee osteoarthritis.

In one eight-year study of 2, participants , researchers found that the more people ran, the less likely they were to suffer from knee pain or osteoarthritis. While it's hard to say that running directly caused people to experience less knee pain, researchers think that could be the case since running helps people keep their BMI in check and their leg muscles strong. Running also strengthens bones.

In a study of 51 young people with an average age of 18, half were assigned to add running into their routines, while the other half did not they did get some exercise, but didn't add a regular running regimen. To get the benefits associated with running, the group of runners ran at a moderate pace for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for three weeks. Those in that running group were found to sleep better, show signs of improved psychological functioning, and focus better during the day.

The same benefits are likely to apply to runners of any age. We know that aerobic activity is good for the heart, so it's no surprise that running can improve cardiovascular fitness. In general, the more people run, the healthier their hearts tend to be. But you can get big benefits without having to do a lot: running just five minutes per day could add years to your life, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. There has been some concern that extreme amounts of running — we're talking ultramarathon distances — could stress or scar the heart.

But a growing body of research seems to indicate that's not something to worry about. Researchers have found that people who run at least 40 miles per week have healthier hearts than those who run 13 miles a week, for example.

If you want to keep your mind healthy as you age, research indicates exercising is one of the best things you can do. A review of research on the cognitive-boosting effect of aerobic exercise which in many studies was either running, jogging, or brisk walking found that for children, running improved working memory and focus.

For young adults, working memory saw a similar boost — as did task-switching ability. For older adults, this sort of activity provides a long list of cognitive benefits, including working memory, focus, and task switching. A number of studies have shown that aerobic exercise can improve people's ability to cope with stress — and many of those studies focus on runners.

In a review of research about exercise and stress published in Clinical Psychology Review , author Peter Salmon concludes that this "training recruits a process which confers enduring resilience to stress. Researchers think this may be because aerobic exercise increases levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine, and causes the brain to generate new neurons. At a pace of 5 mph about a minute mile , a pound person will burn calories an hour — and a pound person will burn calories in that hour.

Going faster, at 8 mph a mile , those people would burn and 1, calories, respectively. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.

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