Running is the most practiced sport in the world.
When you leave the house in the morning in big cities, you will surely come across runners.
The same happens in the late afternoon and, depending on the region where you live, even at night.
Is not for nothing. Running has numerous health benefits for the practitioner.
Read on and find out what they are!
Contents
Effects of running on the body
Running is a sport that can be practiced without any equipment or structure. Even tennis is optional – even if it is highly recommended.
Some precautions are necessary, such as stretching and warming up, as well as precautions with the technique to avoid injuries.
It is an aerobic practice, healthy and with benefits for the whole body, from the muscles, the fat control, the hearts, brain and mood.
Among the main benefits of the race are:
- Slimming;
- Increased leg strength;
- Increased resistance;
- Muscle definition;
- Burning of fats;
- Cholesterol reduction;
- Relieves PMS;
- Improves sleep quality;
- Mood improvements;
- Improved blood circulation;
- Stress reduction;
- Cardiovascular benefits;
- Increased lung capacity;
- Slimming;
- Promotes well-being.
All of these benefits can be achieved with little running time per training session.
It is also possible to reach them even with low intensity runs.
Benefits for the legs
The practice of running mainly uses the muscles of the lower limbs, the legs. Therefore, they are the main beneficiaries of the exercise.
Strength
The use of muscles helps to strengthen them, and it is no different with running. This exercise has great benefits for the calves, thighs and buttocks.
It is an impact sport, so the effort is not small, but the legs are the strongest members of the body and can take it.
Over time, thanks to the effort of training, the leg muscles gain more strength, which allows you to run faster and with more intensity.
Muscle endurance
The strength of your legs can speed up your training, but that’s not all that counts in a race. Muscle endurance is also very important. The human body was not made to move very fast, but to run far.
We are one of the few land animals capable of running a marathon (42 km) and thanks to our ability to sweat and cool the body in motion, we can take much more than that.
Humans can perform tests of more than 100 km.
Running frequently increases the resistance of the muscles in our legs, which allows us to reach incredible distances.
Bone strength
The impact caused by running also promotes the synthesis of bone mass, which increases the resistance of the bones in our legs, allowing them to withstand more impact.
Blood circulation
Running increases the blood circulation of our legs since the muscles require oxygen to have energy. The running habit improves blood circulation in the legs and other parts of the body as well.
Benefits of running for the brain
In addition to the physical benefits, running is also very good for your brain. Between them:
Mental health
Running is very good for mental health . Exercises can help control depression , sleep problems and stress , among other conditions.
But be sure to consult a professional if you are suffering from a mental health problem.
PMS relief
Running can be used as a way to reduce mood swings caused by hormones during the week before menstruation in women.
Running care
Running, like any sport, requires certain precautions so that our bodies do not get hurt during the practice. Among them are:
Stretches
Stretching is essential to prepare your muscles and joints for the strain of running. Without them, the chances of injury are much greater.
Heaters
Like stretching, warming up prepares your muscles for effort. They are important precautions to avoid stretching.
Injuries
Remember not to strain your body too much to avoid injury, and do not run if you are already injured.
Cannellitis, for example, is an injury to the tibial bone, caused by the exaggerated effort of the region. It usually affects runners and, if left untreated, can bring serious problems.
Limits
Respect your limits. If you don’t have training, there’s no point trying to run a marathon right away. Practice, increase the intensity of the exercise gradually and evolve as a runner before you try too hard.
food
Adequate nutrition is essential before any effort as required in the race. This ensures that your body will have enough energy to handle exercise without worries.
Hydration
As a species, humans are very good at running long distances, mainly because of their ability to sweat and cool down while running. However, if you don’t hydrate properly before and after the effort, you can become dehydrated, as sweat causes you to lose water.
Remember to drink water during the effort, but be careful not to ingest too much at once, as this can impair your performance! Do the fluid replacement during the exercise, in addition, of course, before and after it.
Walking: a way to start running
Walking is not an impactful exercise like running and does not bring the same intensity, but many of its benefits are similar.
It can be used as a way to start running. If you haven’t run in a long time, walking is the best way to gain strength and leg strength to get started.
Walking is also very good for warming up your muscles before you start running, especially on cold days.
Street racing and treadmill racing: which is better?
There is a doubt about which type of race is best, the street race or the treadmill race. The truth is that neither is better than the other and it all depends on the context in which you run. You can choose one of them or vary from day to day.
Know more about each one:
Street race
Street running has the advantage of having a varied setting, outdoors and contact with nature in parks. This can bring several benefits to your body and, mainly, to the feeling of well-being that running provides.
On the other hand, the terrain may not always be conducive to running. Broken sidewalks and bumpy asphalt are a reality in many areas of Brazil and the world, which can increase the chances of injury.
Treadmill Race
Running on the treadmill does not have the scenery and the contact with nature that running outdoors allows, but it has some advantages. The “terrain” on which you run on a treadmill is always regular and you can make adjustments such as slope, which is not possible on the street.
The main disadvantage of running on the treadmill, however, is that the equipment can be expensive and not accessible to anyone, while to run on the street, one shoe is enough.
Race to lose weight
Running is an aerobic and cardiovascular exercise. It uses a lot of energy and is indicated for burning fats. Therefore, resorting to this activity to lose weight is recommended.
It helps if you do an alternating run. Run at the same intensity
However, remember that exercise is only secondary to healthy weight loss.
The best method for healthy weight loss is food control. Eating balanced meals is essential for health and to lose weight properly, without taking risks.
Harm of the race
The race is not really harmful, unless you do not follow the care you should have with any sport.
Avoiding exaggeration, staying hydrated and well-fed, in addition to consulting a professional to make sure you are doing the exercise correctly are necessary steps to avoid any problems.
Premature aging
This is one of the harms caused by exaggeration in aerobic physical activity, which causes an increase in free radicals. It is an effect most clearly seen on the skin of people who overdo the exercises.
Immune fall
There is a weakening of the immune system after an uninterrupted hour of running. Therefore, overdoing it can cause problems such as increasing the chances of infections.
Problems for mass gain
Excessive aerobic activities expend a lot of energy and can make it difficult to gain muscle mass. So, if you are aiming to get big muscles, remember not to overdo the run.
Running can help you lose weight, improve your heart, mental health and mood, and bring many other benefits.
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