„MOVEMENT CAN REPLACE ALMOST EVERY MEDICINE,
BUT ALL MEDICINES TAKEN TOGETHER WILL NEVER REPLACE MOVEMENT”
(Wiktor Dega)
Running is the simplest and at the same time the most effective form of movement positively influencing our health. It ensures the best and quickest results, strengthens the body and improves state of mind, what’s more, it cost almost nothing. It does not require specialized hardware or devoting much time to prepare for. Just put on your shoes, close the door and run.
Running will help you lose weight, reduce the risk of heart disease, but also improve the state of mind and efficiency at work. And we are not talking here about the long hours of training and thousands of kilometers covered, but a regular and moderate exercise, which everyone can afford, alone or with friends – the very thing that brings us the greatest pleasure.
1. SPORT EQUALS HEALTH
Running has beneficial effects on the whole body. Physical activity primarily benefits the heart, circulatory system and lungs.
Heart of the statistical person beats approx. 70 times per minute, pumping at this time approx. 5-7 liters of blood. Within an hour, our heart beats 4200 times and pumps approx. 400 liters of blood, and within only one day this crucial for our lives organ performs as many as 100 000 beats.
Heart, like any muscle, must be traing to function perfectly. During the run, the heart rate increases three times – up to 130-180 beats per minute and it pumps 20 liters of blood per minute. Trained in such a way, the heart increases its efficiency. The volume of an untrained person’s heart equals approx. 600-700 cm3, while a the same of the fit person equals 1000 to 1400 cm3. Paradoxically, the heart of a fit person needs less effort to pump the same amount of blood. What’s more, thanks to the training, the resting heart rate gest lowered (up to 40-60 beats per minute instead of 70-80), therefore a muscle works calmly, and it is better able to supply blood to the whole body. As a result, our heart is stronger, and we are less vulnerable to heart attack and protected against atherosclerosis, hypertension, and other diseases of the circulatory system.
Similarly to heart, lungs are also trained during the run. Blood circulates faster, but the lungs have to keep up to supply enough oxygen for our muscles to work. While resting lungs exchange approx. 10 liters of air per minute, during running this amount is increased to 100 liters. The result is a quieter, deeper and more equal breath at rest, and carbon dioxide more effectively removed from organism.
The balance of hormones is essential for the proper functioning of the organism. Physical activity naturally regulates the hormones and helps them maintain a reasonable level. During the hard work your body produces endorphins – hormones of happiness. It is thanks to them that after the run we feel full of energy and we are in good mood. Running also affects levels of estrogen – the hormone extremely important for women, the reduced level of which (eg. during menopause) influences the risk of developing cancer. Thanks to running, women are said to be able to reduce the risk of breast cancer by 20%.
2. FITNESS
Running is the most effective way to loosing excess kilograms. With regular physical activity your body burns excess fat, making our silhouette more slender. Moreover, movement activates muscles – we become stronger and fitter and our body gains an athletic look. Ladies do not have anything to fear – aerobic exercises (i.e. running) do not result in muscle growth – on the contrary, the muscles will take on density, but will extend and will result in even more slender silhouette.
Running is also for the body as a natural cosmetic – better blood-supplied skin smoothens, gets healthier colours and becomes more elastic.
3. STATE OF MIND
The above mentioned endorphines are hormones of happiness, which are activated during any physical activity. Especially with moderate exercise, i.e. easy jogging, endorphins work extremely well. They act as painkillers, affect positively our state of mental balance and reduce stress levels. Therefore, after the run we are full of energy, relaxed and have a great mood. Morning run can set a person optimistic for the whole day.
The appropriate level of effort while running helps you fall asleep and causes that the sleep is deeper and regenerates better. Running also helps overcome depression, improves the efficiency of our mind so that we are more creative and succesful at work.
4. RESISTANCE
Running categorically improves immunity. People involved in sports argue that they much less likely to catch cold (even up to 90%). I acknowledge that with my own example. When I feel that I „cought” something, I immediately go on training. After the run there’s no sign of cold. The immune system works better because it is hardened, and the amount of stress hormones is considerably smaller.
But when a sickness already catches a fir person, well-trained body handles it much better and the disease passes much lighter than with those people not practicing sports. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most valuable and most visible benefits of sport.