subject: Lifestyle and Fitness 101: Running For Your Health [print this page] Lifestyle and Fitness 101: Running For Your Health
There is no better way to lose weight and maintain a healthy body than running. Running has been one of the favorite exercises and sports of thousands of people and you just cannot deny the fact that it can offer you more than just the pleasure of having a good exercise. So why run exactly?
Your metabolism needs to be on the go in order for your body to burn fat consistently, and you can achieve that through running. The reason why running is so effective when you are trying to burn fat and lose weight is that it can keep your metabolism working for up to four days. That means, even when you are doing nothing you are still burning fat.
Keeping your cholesterol in a healthy level is also one benefit you can get form running regularly. You help improve the circulation of blood in your heart when you run. And aside from getting rid of bad cholesterol, running actually encourages the increase of good cholesterol in the body.
For years people believed that running is the main cause of osteoarthritis, a type of arthritis that is often a result of overexertion of the knee joints. A few years ago, this claim has been proved to be a fallacy by some experts and according to them, running is actually one of the best ways to manage and even prevent arthritis.
Running is not just good for the body, it is also good for the mind. Just like with other exercises, you can get rid of stress through running. Vigorous physical activities like running can actually initiate the release of endorphins from the brain. Endorphins are the body's natural painkiller. They can also improve the mood and are therefore essential for psychological health as well.
Aside from the ones mentioned above, running has other health benefits as well. It has been proven that running can reduce risks for cardiovascular diseases and stroke. It can even keep certain types of cancer at bay, particularly breast cancer among women. So if you are looking for a good exercises to incorporate to your daily workout, try running.
