Are you Ready to Run? Benefits Versus Risks. Learn more about the health and fitness benefits of running, the possible risks, and how to avoid them.
Running is one of the most effective forms of exercise for toning, strengthening, and promoting overall health and happiness. However, nearly everyone who contemplates starting running immediately acknowledges the risks involved. Whether you realize it or not, these risks include getting injured, damaging your knees, breaking bones, or suffering a heart attack. Although these are genuine concerns for many people, there are also unique benefits that running can bring to your life – such as improved balance and coordination, a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and even reduce anxiety and stress.
Know you’re ready to run
If you feel ready and confident to run, ensure you have the right gear and plan your route. Also, ensure you warm up and stretch before your run to reduce the risk of injury. Lastly, start slow and gradually increase your speed as your body adjusts.
Are you ready to run a half marathon?
If so, it’s essential to ensure you are physically and mentally prepared for the challenge ahead. Begin by developing a well-rounded training program that includes regular running, strength, and flexibility exercises. Make sure to listen to your body and adjust your schedule as necessary. Getting enough rest and nutrition to stay healthy and energized during your training. Lastly, set yourself up for success by finding the right motivation, such as creating specific goals or connecting with a supportive running community. With these tips in mind, you can be confident that you’re well on your way to achieving your half-marathon goals!
Are you ready to run your first marathon?
Are you mentally and physically prepared to take on the challenge of running a full marathon? Running a marathon is not something to be taken lightly; it takes significant physical and mental preparation and dedication to be successful.
- Before you decide that you are ready to run your first marathon, consider if you have the proper training plan in place.
- Start with shorter races and build up your mileage slowly over several months.
- Make sure you eat the right foods, drink plenty of water, and get enough rest to handle the strain of a 26-mile race.
- Consider hiring a coach to help fine-tune your training plan and advise how best to prepare for race day.
- Lastly, set realistic goals for yourself regarding time or improvement from previous races and ensure you set aside enough time for training amidst all of your other obligations.
- If done correctly, running a marathon can be an incredibly rewarding experience that will bring out the best in your body and mind.
Benefits Versus Risks
Removing dangers is certainly something we should continue to try to do. But when will it be enough. There comes a point when you cannot live a productive, healthy, and satisfying life without engaging in activities that contain some minor risks. Running is an example of such an activity. Any physical activity involves some slight risks. What you have to consider is – do the benefits outweigh the risks involved? The benefits of running are huge, and the chances are small. Here is an outline of the risks and benefits of running. You make your own decision.
Benefits
Improved Cardiovascular Fitness
There are many potential benefits to regular exercise. It can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, improve balance and coordination, reduce stress and anxiety, improve breathing, and provide other physical benefits. There is some evidence. However, moderate exercise is better for you than more strenuous exercise. You should stick to a relatively easy activity (e.g., walking for 30 minutes daily) and carefully approach the more intense workout.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, regular exercise can help lower your chances of developing heart disease by as much as 25 percent. In addition to lowering your blood pressure, exercise can help improve your overall heart health by reducing your stroke and heart attack risk. It may be hard to determine which type of exercise is best for you based on your circumstances, but there are ways to find out. For example, if you’re over age 50 and have been exercising for little or no time, talk to your doctor about setting up an exercise program.
Weight Loss
Running is not only a superb form of exercise, but it’s also one of the most effective ways to lose weight and improve your health. If you’re struggling to stick with exercise – or if you’re currently in the midst of an exercise regime but aren’t seeing results – then it might be time for a change of scenery. Running gives you mindfulness, discipline, mental clarity, positive feelings, and an endorphin rush that every fitness enthusiast wishes they could experience.
Running is one of the most effective forms of exercise to lose weight. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is usually responsible for rest and digestion. When you run, your body uses fat as a fuel source instead of muscle tissue. This helps preserve your energy levels and helps you burn extra calories even when you aren’t hungry.
A study found that lifelong runners have 25 percent less body fat than non-runners and 20 percent more lean muscle mass than their sedentary counterparts. They also have more energy during exercise and feel more energized and hopeful after completing a workout. The benefits of running go beyond weight loss. It helps with stress relief and general health improvement, and even helps prevent cancer.
Improved Muscle and Joint Strength
Running is an excellent exercise for building lean muscle, but it will also help increase muscle strength and the connective tissues in your joints. This will help prevent injuries. When you run, your muscles stretch and contract. This works on the muscles’ connective tissues and stimulates blood flow to the area. This results in a feeling of fullness, which can help relieve joint pain and improve mobility. The stretching and contracting of muscles occur as you run.
Joints are the bones in your body that connect your muscles to your bones. When you run, air and gas propel through your muscles and pavement (along with your body weight), creating a force behind each push off the ground. This force helps align your tissues in the correct position (and helps reduce stress on other parts of your body), which helps keep you injury-free.
Disease Prevention
Many diseases can be prevented or the symptoms of those diseases lessened by running. Running has been shown to help prevent many types of cancers, reduce the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases and help decrease the severity of the symptoms of arthritis and asthma.
Running has been shown to reduce the risk of several types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer. It has also been shown to improve heart health, especially for people with existing heart conditions or problems at the site of the coronary arteries, and it can even relieve the symptoms of angina, a condition that causes chest pain and frequent shortness of breath.
Running is an amazing way to stay healthy. It reduces risk factors for heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s. If you’re considering starting or improving your weekly or daily running routine, here are some reasons you should! We’ve compiled a list of benefits below that will be helpful for any runner, whether you are just starting or have been running for a long time.
Prevention of Osteoporosis
Regular exercise, such as running, is believed to prevent osteoporosis. The good news is that you can start running even if you do not have an existing diagnosis of osteoporosis. A physical exam can help identify whether you are at risk for developing osteoporosis and order imaging tests to monitor bone density. If you are at increased risk for developing osteoporosis, including during physical therapy appointments, determine whether your bone density has increased.
Osteoporosis is a condition that causes brittle and less flexible bones. Frequent running reduces the risk of osteoporosis while strengthening bones in other body parts. Regular strength training also improves balance, coordination, and gait coordination. Being overweight can increase your risk of falling ill from osteoporosis.
Stress Reduction
Running is an effective form of stress reduction. Studies have shown that people who exercise regularly are less likely to experience depression and stress-related diseases like high blood pressure. Those who engage in high-intensity exercises, such as running for an hour or more every day are also 50% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease throughout their lifetime than those who engage in lighter exercises.
Running will reduce feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety. The physical exertion, the release of endorphins – a mood-enhancing compound, and the increased confidence in having a healthy and fit body all contribute to the stress-reducing benefits of running.
Social Benefits
Socializing is one of the best things about running – it builds confidence, and makes you happier, and more positive around yourself. It may not be the activity you initially think of when imagining “socializing,” but it can easily turn into something great. When you join a new running group or club, find out what they have planned for the upcoming year and start planning your fun events in addition to the weekly meetings.
The act of training is, for the most part, a solitary activity. However, local races and running clubs provide a great place to meet new friends and offer social gatherings to attend.
Risks
Injuries
Any physical activity can result in an injury. Muscle strains, sprains, connective tissue injuries, and bone injures are all possible. A beginning runner is especially susceptible to muscle strains and connective tissue injuries because the muscles and tendons are doing work they are not used to. That is why a beginning runner needs to start slow and make all increases gradually. This will give your muscles and ligaments a chance to strengthen. All runners will have occasional injuries, no matter their fitness level. It is an unavoidable part of engaging in a healthy, physical lifestyle. When properly managed, injuries should not be a significant problem.
Illness
As well as injuries, any physical activity can result in medical conditions. Heart problems, stroke, heart, other environmentally related problems, and other medical conditions can result from any physical activity. In the vast majority of cases, running will prevent these problems. Running is often prescribed as part of a rehabilitation program for cardiac patients. Still, you must realize that physical activity can aggravate if you have a pre-existing medical condition. If you know you have a medical condition, you must consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
Conclusion
The risks of running are minimal when compared to the benefits. The only dangers are injury and illness-related. If you run and train smartly and listen to your body, you will minimize the effect of injuries. The risk of serious medical complications during exercise is low but is higher than when inactive. Most illnesses are due to pre-existing conditions. You should get a physical exam before beginning an exercise program. Your doctor will tell you if there are any forms or intensities of exercise that you should avoid. Running is often prescribed to prevent cardiovascular illnesses and is used as a rehabilitation tool for patients with cardiovascular disease. If you have a concern about this, see your doctor. So are you ready to run?
References
“Are You Mentally Ready for a Marathon? – Reebok”. https://www.reebok.com/us/blog/480104-are-you-mentally-ready-for-a-marathon
“How to run a marathon in your mind: 12 tips for winning the …”. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-running-blog/2015/apr/16/how-to-run-a-marathon-12-tips-mental-fight
“12 Essential Stretches to Do Before Running – Greatist”. https://greatist.com/fitness/stretches-before-running
“How To Stretch Before a Run—Properly – Yale Medicine”. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/how-to-stretch-before-run
“Benefits of Physical Activity”. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm
“7 Heart Benefits of Exercise | Johns Hopkins Medicine”. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/7-heart-benefits-of-exercise
Alex is a fitness aficionado, empowers others towards healthier, active lives through small, sustainable changes for lasting results. Visit Gearuptofit.com for insightful tips and resources to enrich a balanced lifestyle.