Running is a great way to get healthy, stay in shape, and engage with a community of like-minded individuals who can help you stay motivated and support you along the way.
One of the best things about running is that it can offer the best of both worlds when it comes to improving your mental and physical well-being. It can be a great way to get the blood pumping and calm your nerves at the same time. As stress builds up in our daily lives, running can be a welcome activity to burn some of that stress off with a healthy activity. It can also be done in a variety of ways which gives you the flexibility to run however and wherever you’d like.
Each year, the first Wednesday of June is recognized as Global Running Day and we’ve highlighted some of the ways that running affects your body and can help you get in shape.
Running is one of the tried and true methods to burn calories and get back into shape. For decades, health and fitness experts have recommended that individuals of all ages get their recommended amount of cardio in to improve their health. Running gives you a chance to strive towards those aerobic recommendations and do so with minimal requirements or equipment to get started.
The number of calories you can burn while running differs for each person based on several key factors including the incline, speed, weather conditions, surface, and body weight. With so many variable factors in play, there are several calculators that you can use to get an estimate on how many calories you can burn while running.
Running is consistently rated as one of the best exercises you can do to burn calories and get into shape quickly because you can do it anywhere with minimal investment.
Few activities give you an opportunity to work up a sweat and calm your mind at the same time. With so many different daily activities and technology that constantly try to draw your attention and cause you to lose focus, running gives you a great chance to calm your brain and focus.
As you begin to run, you’ll find that your brain begins to relax and focus on the task at hand instead of the other things that are bouncing around in your brain. As you run you’ll find that your focus shifts to important things like stride length, pace, and breathing habits. While you focus on these important running mechanics, you’ll find that you naturally begin to compartmentalize things that were distracting you before and you can focus your thoughts a little bit better.
An ability to focus doesn’t only occur when you’re running though. It can also help you focus afterward throughout the day. Once you’ve been able to compartmentalize many of the things that were distracting you before, you’ll find that you can naturally return to work on other tasks with more focus and won’t get distracted as easily.
Knee pain while running can deter many individuals from heading out for a quick jog, but research suggests that running can actually help individuals who are suffering from knee pain and knee osteoarthritis. While more research is needed to confirm the study’s conclusion, running does help individuals strengthen their muscles and supporting structures which can help them alleviate knee pain, potentially increase the cartilage in the knee instead of wearing it out, and reduce the risk of future injuries.
Running has been shown to improve moods and alleviate symptoms of depression. As you head out for a run, your body will naturally pump endorphins that will help to alleviate your stress, reduce anxiety, and improve your mood with each step. For years, runners have often said that they feel like they’re in a “runner’s high” where it feels like they can run forever without much strain.
You’ll be able to notice when you’ve hit that runner’s high that athletes often remark about when you find that you’re no longer focusing on the challenges of running and it becomes more natural. Individuals often say that their runner’s high and the endorphin release they received from running can last several hours to days afterward which can help you improve your mood and alleviate those negative thoughts.
Running is a great way to improve your cardiovascular health and make sure that you’re taking care of your heart. Research has shown that running helps to strengthen the heart and is much more efficient than individuals who don’t exercise often.
The great thing about running regularly is that you don’t need to run for hours on end to reap the benefits of a healthy jog. Running for a few minutes per day and getting in the recommended amount of aerobic activity per week has shown to boost heart health and improve heart efficiency.
If you’re currently dealing with or have experienced a running injury in the past, our licensed physical therapists can help you get back to doing what you love. We help patients overcome the pain they might experience while running, runner’s knee, and a wide array of other knee pain conditions that could be keeping you from one of your favorite activities.
Each one of our trained and licensed physical therapists can help you get back to running once again after a thorough assessment to determine whether the pain is originating from and what factors could be contributing to the pain you’re experiencing.
Once your physical therapist conducts the initial assessment, our PTs will work with you to educate you on future injury prevention techniques, introduce new exercises, and teach you pain management techniques you can use to recover and get back to running based on your unique needs and goals.
If you’re interested in learning more about our running treatment options, Schedule an Appointment Today at one of our physiotherapy clinics near you.
