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Physical and Psychological Benefits when Undertaking a Regular Running Regime
Running is one of the best cardiovascular activities most people can take part in to quickly help improve their general health and mental well being.
If you follow a regular running schedule, you will soon start to see the physical benefits like weight loss, and take advantage of the mental benefits like lower stress levels or increased positive attitude.
Pysical Health Benefits
Many people start running in order to win the battle over the spare tyre. From being obese and wanting to reduce their body mass index, to just wanting to lose that last five pounds to get into a new outfit, an estimated 60% of runners start running to manage their weight.
This is understandable, when you realise that running is one of the top fat burning activities. Second only to perhaps cross country skiing, (which is not very accessible) running can burn more calories per minute than any other form of cardiovascular exercise.
Beside the weight loss benefits, running has been proven to help fight the aging process by :-
- preventing muscle and bone density loss that often occurs with age.
- promotes the production of the human growth hormone within the body, which some celebrities have taken injections of for years to keep them looking younger.
Running can also help fight disease :-
- reduces the risk of a stroke and the development of breast cancer.
- can help against the early stages of osteoporosis, diabetes and hypertension, however always consult your doctor before starting a running schedule if you suffer from these.
- can reduce the risk of a heart attack by strengthening the heart muscles.
- reduces your blood pressure and helps maintain the elasticity of your arteries.
- raises levels of HDL (the good cholesterol)
- lowers the risk of blood clots.
- generally boost the immune system by creating higer levels of lymphocytes.
Psychological Benefits
If the above list of health benefits hasn't convinced you take up a regular running schedule, then maybe the psychological benefits which includes the 'runners high' may do the trick.
Running Builds Self Confidence
As you progress you can feel yourself growing stronger, and this gives a big confidence boost knowing that you have achieved something. For those runners who lose weight and gain a better self-image, the self confidence boost is much greater.
Running Relieves Stress
Running for around an hour all by yourself, allows you to clear your mind, and pin down answers to any problems that might be bothering you. Running, especially outside and on trails, creates a release of endorphins that result in euphoria (the runner's high) or just a general sense of happiness.
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