What promises a healthier body, a sunnier outlook,
and the perfect opportunity to catch up? This is
no infomercial. Running is one of the best butt-kicking, calorie-blasting workouts around. Still not convinced? Here are 30 big time reasons to hit the ground running.
The Run-Down — Your Action Plan
1. Do it anywhere. Run, that is. Whether on the treadmill or in the park, it’s easy to rack up miles. Even better: Try lacing up the sneakers on that next vacation to
explore a new place.
2. Make new friends. Tired of meeting duds at the bar? Check out local running groups or websites like
meetup.com to hit the road with other
health-minded folks. “Twenty questions” is just as good over a run (
boozy brunches optional).
3. Save some cash. Forget fancy equipment or a pricey gym membership. When it comes to running, all you need to get started is
the right footwear. (Don’t worry, running spandex is optional.)
4. Visit the doctor less. It’s not only apples that can keep the doctor away. Active people are
less likely to develop colon cancer. And ladies, women who regularly engage in intense workouts like running can
reduce their risk of breast cancer by up to 30 percent.
5. Eat more carbs. Who doesn’t love a pasta dinner? Now there’s an excuse to slurp up more spaghetti. During intense training like preparing for a race (sorry, channel surfing doesn’t count) increasing carb intake might help running performance and boost mood during harder runs [].
6. Keep it interesting. Forget boring laps around a track.
Interval training helps boost metabolism and rev cardiovascular fitness. Bonus: Research shows runners who do
intervals have more fun while running (really!) and might be more likely to keep it up
[].
7. Live longer. Who doesn’t want to
live forever? Not only do runners have fewer disabilities and remain active longer than their sedentary counterparts, they actually live longer. And even as weekly running times decrease with age, the healthy benefits keep on ticking
[].
8. Get primal. Turns out Bruce Springsteen was right after all: Baby, we were born to run. It’s what turned us from apes to humans and was
used by our ancestors to outrun prey over long distances.
9. Slip into skinny jeans. Running is one of the
best calorie burners out there. For a 160-lb person it can burn more than 850 calories an hour. Not like
we’re counting or anything.
10. Bring sexy back. Not only can having a rockin’ runner’s bod boost confidence in bed, regular exercise will
help flexibility between the sheets — and get you in the mood more often.
11. Boost memory. Exercise has been shown to help keep the mind sharp and could even reduce symptoms of dementia. Hitting the track might also protect the brain against Alzheimer’s, even among those with a family history of it
[] [].
12. See the sunny side. Active folks see the glass as half full not only while they exercise, but for up to twice as long after hanging up their kicks than their less mobile counterparts
[] []. Talk about “
Happy Feet!”
13. Get a natural glow. Believe it or not, working up a sweat can
rid the face of gunk that clogs pores and leads to breakouts. A solid sweat session can also boost natural oils, keeping things fresh and healthy. (Just remember to remove makeup pre-workout and wash gently afterward to avoid breakouts.)
14. Improve self-esteem. Need one more excuse to go green? Runners who ran outside and snagged a good view of nature showed increased self-esteem post-workout than those who had only unpleasant scenes to gaze at [].
15. Stay steady. Older runners can keep their balance better than non-runners, protecting their knees and tendons in the process. Take that,
yoga! Be careful
not to overdo it, though: Too
much exercise can lead to stress injuries and bone loss
[].
16. Turn down the pressure. Running is a natural way to keep high blood pressure
at bay — and fast. Amping up workouts can help lower blood pressure in
just a few weeks.
17. Build stronger bones. Resistance training is awesome, but word on the street is that running might help produce even
stronger bones than cranking out reps. As an impact exercise, running helps
build the muscle that lower-impact workouts ignore, keeping bones healthier even as they age.
18. Get an energy boost. Feeling sluggish? Try going for a run instead. Just one running sesh can increase energy and chip away at fatigue [].
20. Carve that core. A
strong core improves posture, strengthens limbs, and helps make everyday activities a breeze. And whether we feel it or not, running engages that midsection, strengthening those all-important muscles. Bonus: A solid core in runners can
improve performance, too.
21. Sleep better. Runners tend to adapt to set sleeping routines in order to
keep running performance high. Even better: Running also encourages higher
quality sleep, which translates into better Zzz’s all night long.
22. Do it year-round. Rack up those miles no matter what the weatherman says (dress appropriately, though!). Temperatures still not
just right? Jazz up the ol’
treadmill run to get the
same health benefits inside.
24. Check off those goals. Studies suggest that people who set and meet (or exceed) long-term fitness goals are more committed and satisfied with their exercise routines than those who trudge along aimlessly []. And who doesn’t feel good about crossing items off their bucket list?
25. Show your heart some loving. Running for just an hour a week can reduce the risk of heart disease by almost half compared to non-runners
[] []. And for those already hitting the recommended physical activity guidelines, an extra spurt of exercise can lower the risks of heart disease even more. (Just be mindful not to overdo it and cause
more damage than good.)
26. Run stress away. Ready to pull your hair out?
Instead of tuning in to a reality TV marathon, try
running a real one. Not only does running boost the brain’s serotonin levels, regular exercise might
actually remodel the brain, making it calmer and more stress resistant
[].
28. Increase stamina. Running regularly will
improve stamina, making workouts more enjoyable and productive. And let’s not forget that lasting longer isn’t restricted to the track — it’s useful in… other areas as well.
29. Get there faster. Instead of a leisurely evening stroll,
try a jog around the neighborhood instead. It’ll burn more calories in the same amount of time.
30. Sound like a pro. We’ve got the
running lingo to get you in the know. Ready, set, go!
