WHY RUN? (Goal #11)

Last week we started the “Couch to 5K” running plan.  It feels good to run again.  You know what I like best about running – besides the runners high that I mentioned in a previous blog, which I am NOT getting yet – it’s that you get finished with your exercise sooner if you run!  Yea, I feel like I have too many other things that I want to do besides exercise, so I would like to shorten the time as much as possible.  Ha ha.  That means I need to run, and run fast!  It will be awhile before that happens, but anyway, that’s my goal.

So – why should a retirement age woman want to run?  Though running may not cure everything, it's been linked to all sorts of health benefits, emotional perks, and even disease prevention. (http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/start-running)

1. Running is easy: Well, I don’t mean “easy” really, but it requires no equipment, and is not limited to location, you can run anywhere.  No new skills to master, no equipment to buy, no gym to join.  All you need is a good pair of running shoes and a good sports bra.  Then just get out there and run!
2. Running is good for your heart: Running gives your ticker a world-class workout. When your legs hit their stride they squeeze blood toward your heart, which in turn forces it to pump the blood right back. The faster you run, the harder your heart works and the stronger it gets.
3. Running reduces osteoporosis:  The biggest osteoarthritis risk factor besides age? Body weight.  Your knees will thank you.  Runners are much more likely to be at a normal weight than members of the sedentary population, significantly decreasing their risk of osteoarthritis. Besides the benefits of weighing less, running bolsters your cartilage by increasing oxygen flow and flushing out toxins, and by strengthening the ligaments around your joints. Hitting the trail also gives your bones a boost, helping to prevent osteoporosis.
4. Running reduces stress:  The University of Georgia Department of Exercise induced anxiety on subjects and then tested their physiological and mood symptoms after either resting for an hour or exercising for that hour. The exercise (in this case, on a stationary bike), was three times more effective at reducing anxiety. Running is even used by mental health experts to help treat clinical depression and other psychological disorders such as drug and alcohol addiction.
5. Running prevents disease: One recent study in the British Journal of Cancer calculated that the "most active" (e.g. walked briskly 5-6 hours/week) people were 24 percent less likely to develop colon cancer than the "least active" people (e.g. 30 minutes of walking/week). In a study by the National Cancer Institute, women of a normal weight who reported the highest levels of "vigorous activity" (running, tennis, aerobics) had about a 30 percent lower risk of breast cancer when compared with women who did no vigorous activity. Becoming a regular runner may help you cancer-proof your life. Joggers also have a leg up against heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, and running has been shown to lower blood pressure, raise good cholesterol, and boost immunity to colds and other viruses.
6. Running helps you live longer: In perhaps the most surprising study done on the health benefits of running, a team at the Stanford University School of Medicine studied 538 runners and 423 healthy non-runners from 1984 until 2005. All of the subjects were over 50 and were asked to take a disability questionnaire each year measuring simple tasks like cutting meat, shampooing hair, and opening a milk carton. Every year, the disability levels were significantly lower in the group of runners than in the non-runners, and they became more different as both groups aged. At the end of the study, 85% of the runners were still alive, while only 66% of the non-runners were.

Sounds good to me – let’s go run!