Top Benefits of Running for Your Health

By Alexis Mills

Being a regular runner, it seems obvious that it is beneficial to both your physical and mental wellness. By making running or jogging part of your exercise routine, you might be surprised at how much it will benefit the way you feel and how your body functions. If you don't know the benefits, see some of the main ones below and you might be inspired to start running on a regular basis!

Prevent High Blood Pressure

While you are running your arteries expand and contract which helps keep your arteries stay fit. Keeping the arteries in shape will help you maintain a healthy blood pressure.

Lessen Effects of Asthma

Running works your lungs to help strengthen them to fight off conditions such as asthma. If you have asthma, running might be hard at first but eventually will work to diminish the effects of your asthma.

Improve Mental Health

When you work out and sweat in general, it produces chemicals in the brain that make you happier overall. When you are feeling stressed out, a run could be a quick, healthy way to cope.

Increase Bone Density

When you are stressed the body sends essential minerals to the bones in order to strengthen them. Since running stresses the bones it adds extra minerals to increase bone density over time of consistently running.

Strengthen Immune System

Regularly running strengthens your immune system by circulating protective cells throughout the body quicker and attack bacteria and viruses. Running can enhance your immune system to fight off infections more efficiently so you spend less time being sick.

Help with Weight Loss

If you have struggled with weight loss before, running in the morning will help you get your metabolism to burn more calories throughout the day. While you are running, the fat in your body is moving up and down, which helps break it down quicker.

Increase Physical Strength

Running primarily builds lower body strength more than upper body. It should not be used in place of strength training but is a great way to build denser leg and lower body muscles.

Reduce Diabetic Resistance

Running benefits help reduce diabetic resistance and be able to maintain a healthy blood sugar level.

Increase Joint Strength

By also increasing the strength of ligaments and tendons you also increase joint strength. This also reduces your chance of injury in your ankles, hips, and knees by strengthening your joints.

If you aren't a runner already, after reading that list, I think it's obvious that it's worth a try to see if it's a right fit for you.

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Avondale, Ariz.