The many health benefits of running

By Pete Cooper, co-founder of Coopah

At Coopah, we absolutely love running for many reasons. Some of the best reasons are the practically endless number of health benefits running has. You don’t need to be a marathon runner or a 5k champion in order to enjoy these benefits either. We’ve put together 5 reasons why you should lace up your shoes and go out for a run after reading this blog!

1. Get the runner’s high!

Yes, you’ve probably heard your colleague come into the office at 8am bragging about how great their morning was and how good they are feeling after a run of all things. That’s because running really does make you feel good! It’s proven that just 15 minutes of aerobic exercise releases endorphins which really boost your mood. Running can also make you feel like you have achieved something whilst everyone else is sleeping, which can have a huge impact on your mental health.  

2. Lose fat

Running burns calories and burning calories means losing fat. Running is also one of the most effective fat burning exercises there is. On average, you will lose over 500 calories across a 30 minute run. If you then make the right food choices on top of this, running can be more effective than any gym membership. Oh, and did we mention running is free too?

3. Become a dreamer (improve your sleep)

Did you know that if you’re sleep deprived you’re likely to consume around 300 extra calories a day? That’s just one of the many reasons that sleeping is pretty important! Running helps release norepinephrine, a chemical known to lessen the brain’s response to stress. These hormones will help your mind relax so that, when night-time comes, you can drift off and dream of one day becoming the next Mo Farah or Paula Radcliffe.

4. Stronger, faster, fitter, more confident

You don’t need to run 7 days a week in order to see the health benefits of running. It’s proven that just 5 x 30 minutes of exercise a week can help you to start seeing some health benefits. It could be that you’re feeling stronger, you could be more productive in your day or you may see some weight loss. The good news is that this will likely start to show within a month or so, which will then give you the confidence and motivation to keep it up.

5. Running adds years to your life - and also life to your years…

Now, this is a huge claim but one which is backed up by evidence. We’ve explained some of the health benefits of running here but becoming a regular runner can help extend your life by up to three years. The best bit? It doesn’t matter how fast you go! Because of all the health benefits, it means it will also add energy and life to your years, which means you will love life even more!