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Five Reasons to Run Five Days a Week

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If you think that the only motivation you have for jogging around the park or hitting the treadmill is because it helps you burn that extra calorie you acquired in some bar the night before, there are a boatload of other benefits that you derive from jogging or running daily. But to entice you to get the dust off of your running shoes and make this exercise a regular thing, here are five reasons:

1. Running is cardioprotective and strengthens your lungs.

If there are two organ systems which will certainly appreciate you running every day, it would have to be the cardiac and respiratory systems. Whenever you do any cardio exercise, which includes jogging or running, the heart pumps faster to meet the increased oxygen demand of your body. Increased blood flow means a corresponding increase in the delivery of oxygen to muscles by oxygenated blood. For as long as you have no pre-existing cardiac problems, this entire phenomenon should be beneficial to your heart and lungs.

2. Running keeps you from aging prematurely.

According to studies, premature aging has become linked to a sedentary lifestyle, while increased activity has been positively correlated with longevity. A study conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine has revealed that older individuals who are known to be runners are not only plagued with a lesser number of disabilities but also live longer than individuals who weren’t avid joggers or runners. Running can add up to 20 years to your life.

3. Running helps you to build muscles.

Individuals who run daily are known to have lesser body fat and are more muscular. This is because almost every muscle of your body is developed whenever you run or jog, most, especially your legs. Because of the nature of this exercise, you may be shedding your excess fat to reveal a more toned body without even noticing it.

4. Running contributes to proper bone development.

Whenever you run, you are making use of your bones, which helps to strengthen them as well as your joints. Osteoporosis, a disease that leads to brittle bones that are prone to damage, is prevented with proper and regular exercise. Running is one of the recommended activities for warding off the onset of this bone disease.

5. Running is an effective way to release stress.

Is work bringing you down? Do you need a severe pick-me-up? Running may dramatically improve your mood. This is because of the release of endorphins that exercise stimulates. This happy hormone is related to serotonin, or the feel-good hormone. Equivalent to the feeling you get when you eat a whole bar of chocolate, running lifts up your mood while allowing you to burn calories at the same time rather than devouring it.