benefits of running
Running is good for health. It does not require any money to indulge in it as other sports do. Remember, all men were born to run!
Running relieves stress. Running decreases anxiety and depression by releasing endorphins that increase one’s sense of well-being.
Running helps you sleep better. According to a study at the Stanford University School of Medicine, joggers slept an average of 50 minutes more a night than non-joggers, and catching those zzzz’s was much more profound and more extended as well.
Running improves your sex life. Researchers from the US studied recreational runners ranging from 18 to 59 years old. After starting their running routine, they found that many marathoners experienced enhanced sexual function, including improvements in desire, arousal, orgasmic function, and overall satisfaction.
Who can be a runner? You can be a runner if you have just started walking or reached the age of 90. You can run if you cannot run for even one minute or even if you cannot run for 3 minutes.
If your maximum speed is 10 minutes/km or even 5 minutes/km, you can be a runner. If you get tired after walking for 2 hours or 1 hour, you can be a runner. Running is running and not marathon running!
Running gives peace of mind and internal happiness, which many other sports fail to provide. It increases self-confidence in our day-to-day activities by giving us physical fitness, stamina, power, and endurance, prerequisites in all walks of life.
For example, in the Indian Army, Paratroopers who pass out as officers must complete 20 successful jumps. They are made to jump from an aircraft at the height of 6000 to 8000 feet with a full load on their body.
After completing this course, 80% of these personnel become pros in their daily activities (e.g., climbing stairs without getting tired, carrying weights, trekking). Only 20% join Para SF and MARCOS, born with such genes!
Running is good for your health irrespective of your physical appearance, like skinny or fat. People say that if you cannot run for 3 minutes (1 min running and 2 min walking), you should not start jogging/running because it is terrible for your knees and joints, etc. But they do not understand the!
You can see the difference in the picture above. Both the persons are running, and there is no difference between their postures. “How to get started with jogging/running.”
1- Start slowly: Jog for 1 min running and 2 minutes walking or walk for 5 minutes and jog for 1 minute. No need to measure time! Do this three times a day, every day early morning.
2- Slow increase in your jog/run duration: Increase 30 sec every day until 4 to 5 minutes. Then stop increasing it further but continue doing it daily early morning or whatever suits you best!
3- Faster speeds: Once you feel that you have become habitual of this routine, drop walking entirely from your schedule and do only jogging at whatever pace you feel comfortable.
4- Increase in speeds: After two months of jogging/running, try to increase your running speed and see how it feels! You will be surprised by the improvements in your speed and endurance.
5- Running with others: Join a group or club where you can run together at faster speeds with short rests and recoveries. This way, you can push each other to improve the quality and quantity of training.
6- Track your performance: Keep track of how much you improve every day. Run-on a mark to measure your speed every day after some days/months.
7- Compete with yourself, not others! If someone is better than you or is overtaking you at your speed, relax and enjoy the breeze of air touching your face while running!!!
8- Enjoyment matters most: Many people think they have to suffer pain to benefit from jogging/running. This is one big mistake! First, build up habits of jogging/running, then slowly try more challenging levels if possible till you get the desired level but never push yourself beyond the limit; otherwise, injuries are waiting for you.
9- Never forget to do stretches before and after running. If you plan to jog for more than 30 minutes, do plays before jogging.
10- Keep yourself hydrated by having plenty of water/sugarless tea/coffee etc., during training sessions as well as before & after it.
11- You can eat anything you like (within your limits) but never starve or go hungry! Starving only makes the body weak and does not burn extra calories!!
If there was ever a sport that could be done by anybody at any age, anywhere with no equipment whatsoever – it’s running. You don’t need weights or even sneakers because all you need to run is a good pair of lungs and strong legs.
The only thing you need to do is go out for a run, perform some stretches, and get started running. You don’t even need shoes if you want to run on the road or outside of your local park – shoes are more of a comfort factor than anything else because they’re designed with thick padding and support, making them better suited for runs that last beyond 10 minutes. It’s up to you if you want to use them or not, but it all comes down to preference and comfort level.