Health benefits one gets from running

The start of the year is the best time to get into a new healthy habit, and running is perhaps one of the best, if not the cheapest, habit to put into practice. It is ideal to make that new habit last for the long haul.

With no new skills to master and just a pair of running shoes, running is fast becoming a very popular fad among Filipinos. “Fun runs,” team relays and other running competitions are being held all year round, not only in Metro Manila but also as high up in Baguio and as down south in Cebu.

Running has a lot of benefits. There are six ways it improves one’s health, as collated from the websites of popular health magazines Runner’s World (“6 Ways Running Improves Your Health”) and Women’s Health (“6 Reasons to Start Running,” 3/22/13).

1 Running makes people happier. Aside from the “runner’s high”—the rush of feel-good hormones known as endocannabinoids—Runner’s World cited a 2006 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise which said that a single bout of exercise, like a 30-minute walk on a treadmill, could instantly lift the mood of someone suffering from a major depressive order. It added that “moderate exercise may help people cope with anxiety and stress even after they’re done.”

Women’s Health added that running is even recommended by mental health experts to help treat clinical depression and other psychological disorders, such as drug and alcohol addiction.

2 Running helps one to get skinnier and stronger. Runner’s World cited studies showing that regular exercise boosts “afterburn,” or the number of calories burned after exercise. Even after the exercise, the “burn” continues, it said.

According to Women’s Health, running gives people “a world-class workout.” “[It] blasts the most calories; the faster you run, the harder your heart works and the stronger it gets.”

3 Running strengthens knees—and other joints and bones. It’s been a fact that running increases bone mass, improves knee health and helps stem age-related bone loss, Runner’s World said.

Women’s Health, meanwhile, said that running bolsters one’s cartilage by increasing oxygen flow and flushing out toxins, and by strengthening the ligaments around the joints; and can prevent osteoporosis.

4 Running will keep minds sharper, even at old age. According to Runner’s World, fitter older adults scored better in mental tests than their unfit peers. It added that regular exercise helps defeat age-related mental decline, like task switching, selective attention and working memory.

5 Running reduces the risk of disease. Runner’s World said that though running doesn’t cure cancer, there’s plenty of proof that it helps prevent it, citing vast review of 170 epidemiological studies in the Journal of Nutrition, which showed “that regular exercise is associated with a lower risk of certain cancers.”

Meanwhile, Women’s Health said that joggers have a leg up against heart disease, stroke and diabetes. “Running has been shown to lower blood pressure, raise good cholesterol and boost immunity to colds and other viruses.”

6 Running adds years to your life. Runner’s World said that even the minimum amount of physical activity—30 minutes, five times per week—can do wonders in prolonging one’s life.

Women’s Health, meanwhile, said that regular exercise could reduce both disability and risk of death by increasing cardio fitness and bone mass, lowering inflammation and improving response to vaccination.

Vitamins and supplements manufacturer Nutrilite is even capitalizing on the “running boom” to promote “optimal health” through the Nutrilite Health Run, which will have participants running for “optimal health” in 3k, 5k and 8k categories.

Amway Philippines, country distributor of Nutrilite, announced on Jan. 22 that the three-leg Nutrilite Health Run will kick off in Manila on Feb. 22 at Blue Bay Walk in Pasay City, followed by the second one at the Amway Distribution Center in Davao on March 1, and the third and final leg at the ADC in Cagayan de Oro on March 15. For only P300 for all categories, participants will get a race shirt, a race bib and, after the race, Amway goodies.

For Leni Olmedo, Amway Philippines country manager, the Nutrilite Health Run is the perfect time “for us to shed those excess pounds” from all the binge-eating and partying of the past holiday season.

“Through this series of runs, we want to encourage more people to put a premium on their personal wellness. We want more people to eat right, take in the right supplements and exercise,” she said.

With all the great benefits and the few requirements to join in, it really is the best time to get on the running fad. Let’s wear those running shoes and hit the track to good health.

Interested participants can register at all Amway Distribution Centers, Runnr BGC and at Toby’s in SM MOA. They can also register online at Amway’s official Facebook account: www.facebook.com/colorurlife. They can also register on-site during the race day.