Is Running Bad For You?

Is running bad for you? First of all, running is a free workout that you can do from almost anywhere. If you can run fast enough and far enough, no one will be able to catch up with you.

Intro

Is running bad for you?

This is an age-old question that pinches the human mind. In this famous book “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall rightly points out that whether you are a gazelle or a lion, running holds the key to your survival when the sun comes up.

This is true for humans as well. During the evolution as bipeds, humans got blessed with endurance to run after prey. It also got engraved in human genetics. However, modern civilization has taken away this from us as the majority of the population is involved in sedentary jobs almost motionlessly staring at the screen.

Millions of people run because of this situation. They do this because one can run anytime and anywhere. What is so beautiful about running is that it does not need great skill or teammates. For these reasons, running has become integrated into their lives.

This article aims to clear the doubt and also cite reasons why running is good and bad for you in some instances. Read on for more.

10 amazing benefits of running.

There is an old saying that says you should only crawl when you must, but run when you can. Running will bring in changes adding life to your days. Running is incredible for the body, mind, and soul. It can reap several amazing benefits. Before you start considering is running bad for you, check the following to get your core out in the field.

1. Running boosts your health.

Running is excellent for improving your health, especially cardiovascular health. Several studies reveal that running helps the concentration of good cholesterol. One need not do a lot. Just running for a few minutes every day is enough to stay healthy and stout. Moreover, it improves lung function.

2. Running Works wonders on the mind.

Besides improving your physical health, running also takes care of your mind. This gives a perfect knockout blow to thought is running bad for you or not. As you touch the track, your brain starts pumping out endorphins and endocannabinoids. These are feel-good chemicals and they help to keep the spirits high. So, you stay in a happy mood and feel calm.

3. Running makes you confident.

As running makes you feel good, your attitude towards life changes. This helps you think everything in a positive way to take away from the realm of stress. Additionally, as you go on achieving new goals, that gives you enough confidence and builds up self-esteem.

4. Running helps to maintain a healthy weight.

There is no shortage of people who will remind you to think is running bad for your organs. But there is hardly any reason why it should be wrong. Although there are many ways to lose or maintain your body weight, running is the best among them. It has a great calorie-burning function for maintaining healthy body weight.

5. Running lets you sleep better.

Sleep is immensely crucial for athletes. You need more rest if you do intensive exercises. Various studies indicate that exercise helps you sleep better, and it also improves the quality of sleep. But, you may encounter people who will officiously advise to consider is-jogging-bad-for-you or not. As you have the obvious benefits, just stick to your routine.

6. Running makes your legs strong.

The biggest muscles of your body are in the legs. They include gluteus maximus, quads, hamstrings, and calves. Being a simple but killer workout running is also advantageous to all of them. This helps you to get considerable relief from the thought that is running bad for you or not.

7. Running protects the knees and back.

Many misgivings go like, is running bad for your back, is running bad for the knees, etc. Although hard to believe, running helps improve the knees and backs (if done right and you don’t have medical conditions that prohibit running). As this is a kind of impact sports, it gives good workouts to these areas, and there is less age-related decline.

8. Running improves immunity.

Other than keeping your heart healthy, studies reveal that there is a direct link between physical activity and defense system of the body. Acute exercises help to improve the defense mechanism and metabolic health. Thus, moderate running can help you stay far from many diseases.

9. Running lowers the risk of certain cancers.

Running also helps to lower the risk of many cancers, including breast cancer in women. Epidemiological studies conducted indicate that while running cannot cure diseases, it adds to the prevention, even people who have cancer are better off, physically and emotionally, reducing the morbidity rate.

10. Running promotes long life

As running lowers down blood pressure, improves glucose regulation, cardiovascular health, etc.; it increases your life span, adding smiles to your life.

Pitfalls of running

While questions like is running bad for your joints and is running bad for your heart are always debated. There are some doctors who don’t favor running. Indeed, the rate of injuries suffered by the runners is not high, but they do happen.

Running every day makes one vulnerable to overuse injuries. Excessive running may strain or tear muscles and increases the tendency to thicken heart tissues. In some cases, this may cause fibrosis, and the runner may also have an irregular heartbeat. Moreover, intensive running for a long time tend to build up oxidative stress or build-up of free radicals. This, in combination with cholesterol, may lead to plaque in the arteries.

Ways to avoid overtraining

If you have some ill effects after running, it could be due to overtraining. Pushing the body through new challenges helps one adapt to new conditions. The problem is that both beginners and experienced runners fall prey to the excitement. They hardly notice that they have reached their peak. In such situations, athletes become vulnerable to injuries.

Doing harder and harder intensive training is welcomed by the body, but you should make sure that the body gets enough time to recover. There are some simple rules for this. The first is to follow the 90% rule that means after finishing the run, and you must feel that you could have run for more. This makes your training easy.

Taking rest is also essential. You must respect your rest day. In fact, it is not bad to sometimes take a week’s rest. If you do not take rest, it will decline your performance, and you will be heading for injuries and overtraining.

Lack of sleep is also a significant cause of overtraining. You repair your body through rest and, therefore, must have a healthy amount of sleep for rejuvenation. It is also important to know the signs of overtraining, such as lack of energy, fatigue, mussel ache, etc. In such cases, one should immediately seek professional help.

How to run better every day.

Dreaming of a breakthrough does not help. You have to make it happen. The following
tips will help you run better every morning.

• Find a coach for guidance.
• Have the right apparel and shoe.
• Run at a comfortable pace.
• Never skip your breakfast.
• Drink water and stay hydrated.
• Running without a Watch can be more comfortable.
• Every once in a while go off track.
• Find a running buddy for a healthy peer challenge.
• Take part in a race.
• Swim to keep you in fit, running in water is great exercise.
• Practice Yoga.
• Eat Healthily.

Final words

The fitness world is always busy in discussing the question. Is running bad for you or not? Negative People can pile up many issues against running and try to build their case. But in that process, they simply ignore the overall perspective. It is sensible to consider that too much of a good thing could also end up as harmful and detrimental. In case you do not have, deformities, injuries, and do not indulge in excessive running, it is suitable for a healthy lifestyle.