5 Great Reasons to Start Running Today

Lisa Franchi August 22, 2014

You probably have a few reasons why not to join a marathon, but there are absolutely many reasons to try it! Here are some of them:

First of all, it can make you live LONGER.

There’s growing evidence that running can add more years to your life. In a 15-year study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers found that runners may live an average of three years longer than people who don’t run. "People may not need to run a lot to get health benefits," said lead author Duck-chul Lee, an assistant professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University. "I hope this study can motivate more people to start running and to continue running as an attainable health goal."

It can sharpen your brain.

Sweating through a marathon race can have beneficial effects to your brain. In a 2012 study, researchers examined the medical records of 638 people from Scotland born in 1936. At age 70, the participants filled out questionnaires detailing their exercise habits as well as how often they engaged in stimulating mental and social activities. At the age of 73, participants went through MRI scans and the scientists matched their brain size, as well as any changes in the volume of white matter, which makes up the web of nerves that connect various brain regions, to the volunteers’ questionnaire answers. The participants reported a range of physical activity, from household chores to heavy exercise or playing competitive sports several times a week. Over the three years, those who exercised the most had the largest brains, and showed the least shrinkage in white matter compared to those who were the least active, suggesting regular exercise in old age could protect the brain from age-related decline. Those who reported engaging in more intellectual pursuits didn’t show the same benefit.

It keeps your heart healthy.

The American Heart Association recommends 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity, such as running, three to four times a week, to lower blood pressure and cholesterol naturally. Just recently, a new study found that even a 5-minute run can help prevent heart disease. The study, which was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, involved more than 55,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 100 over a 15-year period, looking at their overall health, whether they ran and how long they lived. Investigators found 45% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and 30% lower risk of death from all causes among runners.

Running can protect you from cancer too.

According to the National Cancer Institute in the US, physical activity is a critical component of energy balance, the term researchers use to describe how weight, diet, and physical activity influence health. They add that several studies have also reported links between physical activity and reduced risk of endometrial (lining of the uterus), lung, and prostate cancers.

It makes you sleep better!

Want to have a restful sleep? Run! In a 2013 survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, regular exercisers reported significantly better shut-eye than couch potatoes. Even a 10-minute run can already provide significant improvement in the sleep quality of non-exercisers.

So go get your best pair of running shoes, grab a bottle of water and start running! You need not wait for a marathon to take place in your local area. You can already greatly benefit from a daily morning jog.