From healthier bones to the mental perks, there are lots of reasons to hit the pavement. Here are 25 running benefits to know / Photo by Vhakoma News
1. Running can help you live longer
Runners live longer than those who don’t. In one Archives of Internal Medicine study, researchers followed about 1,000 adults (ages 50 and older) for 21 years. At the end of the study, 85 percent of the runners were still kicking it, while only 66 percent of the non-runners were alive. Yikes.
2. Running can get you high
The runner’s high is real: Mounting research, including one study published in Experimental Technology, shows that when we run, our brains pump out endocannabinoids, cannabis-like molecules that keep runners happy—and hooked.
3. Running doesn’t require a commute
Getting to and from the gym might take 30 minutes out of your day, in addition to the time you actually spend working out. But the second you step out of your front door, you can be running, says Erik Moen, P.T., founder of Corpore Sano Physical Therapy in Washington. After all, you spend enough of your time in the car. What’s more: Running can be your commute!