5 Reasons to Start Running Daily

The health benefits around regular exercise and varied and many.

There is a large body of scientific evidence to prove that getting regular exercise will do wonders for your physical, and mental wellbeing.

Around 150 minutes per week is all it takes. You can seriously improve your energy levels, lower your risk of diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure, strokes, and a whole range of other health conditions.

Then you have the social benefits of joining a gym or a club. Working out with friends, meeting new people. It’s a great lifestyle. Yet so many of us make excuses; not enough time, short on cash, niggling injuries.

Well today, 6th June 2015 is National Running Day. Millions of people worldwide will be running in support of this pastime.

So what better time for you to take up running. If you need any more motivation than the obvious, these should seal the deal.

But do remember – consult a doctor first before taking on any exercise that’s new to you. Don’t overdo it too, work your fitness level up at a sensible rate. Results will come, fear not.

5 Reasons to Start Running Daily

Running Helps Make You a Happier Person

Anyone who works out, or have done in the past will be able to confirm this. It’s not just doing something you enjoy that stimulates those feel good vibes. You release feel good hormones when you work out.

Studies have shown that even those suffering with depression can lift their moods with just 30 minutes of light exercise a day. Then there is the emotional feel good vibe of feeling and looking physically better.

It’s not just limited to the period you’re working out either. Once you’re in a habit of working out a few times a week, you’ll feel those feelings of stress and anxiety being lifted. Those who are exercise fanatics even refer to exercise as a ‘drug’. Albeit a good one.

Running Is a Great Way to Lose Weight

One of the main motivating factors for people starting to workout is to lose weight. Whether it’s a post-holiday decision, a new years resolution, or a need for a change in lifestyle. Running will help you lose weight safely, and quickly.

The beauty of running is that you will continue to lose weight when you’re not running too. With a consistent running schedule and a cleaner diet, you’ll give your metabolism a kick start.

You don’t need to crank it up to high-intensity training either. Just push yourself a little harder than is comfortable. Work up slowly to a decent pace. Don’t over-exert yourself and risk injury, it’s never worth it.

Running Is a Great Social Activity

Like I touched on earlier, running can do wonders for your social life. Running is as popular now as it’s ever been. I bet if you look around your neighborhood you’ll see people running in the evenings.

Plus, with a little effort you will find a running club for sure. If not, why don’t you start one. Running is enjoyable solo with a good playlist on an MP3 player. Or even better with a group of you pushing eachother and talking.

So hook up with some fellow runners. Give yourself a motivational boost and make some friends.

Running Helps You Live a Longer, Healthier Life

Just doing the minimum recommended amount of running will help extend your life. That’s just 150 minutes a week. Or 5 sessions of 30 minutes, as most people break it down. It’s really not that hard to work that into your week if you think about it.

The interesting results from the studies behind this is that ti helps anyone, at any stage of life. Smokers saw a marked improvement in their life expectancy. Ex-smokers also saw an improvement. As did cancer survivors, seeing their life expectancy increase.

If being around longer to spend time with family, friends, and loved one’s isn’t enough motivation. I’m not sure what is.

Running Helps Maintain Mental Faculties as You Age

We all worry about losing some of our faculties as we age. And, indeed we do slowly start to slow down in many ways. One of the lesser known facts about running is that it helps people keep a better grip on that side of things.

The Psychonomic Bulletin & Review published a study in their 2012 December edition. Concluding with evidence that regular exercise puts the brakes on age-related decline of mental functions.

To further more substantiate this, groups of later-aged people were put through a series mental tests. Those who were in much better physical condition scored higher across the board.

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There is more than enough motivational points in this article to make you run out (pun intended) and buy some running gear.

Running is a fun way to exercise, feel good, meet people, and use those spare moments productively.

Set yourself some goals. See where you are by this time next year. Maybe you’ll be taking part in National Running Day and getting involved in a local run.