5 REASONS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD RUN
With the New Year just round the corner, all of us thinking about our fitness goals for 2020 & with over 150,000 parkruns in the UK here’s our reasons why all women should run.
Increase Bone Health
As we age we all experience some bone loss naturally, however studies have shown that running can be good for our bone health and help strengthen them. Having strong bones protects against osteoporosis, a disease that causes thinning and weakening of bones which can lead us to being more susceptible to fractures. The NHS website suggests that to look after your bone health that we should do regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise in which running is a great example of a weight-bearing exercise. If you’re new to running it’s suggested that you should increase your running slowly, so try running a few steps and then walking for a few more and slowly building up to a full run – Couch to 5k or joining a parkrun could be a great option.
Improve skin complexion
Exercise helps boost circulation, increasing oxygen and blood flow to our skin cells as well as controlling cortisol which is our stress hormone. Being stressed can cause inflammation in the body which can show up on our skin so enjoying a gentle post-work run can be a great way to unwind and improve our complexion. Careful though, running outside can damage our skin so ensure you wear a suitable SPF. As well as this, eat enough calories and nutrients to fuel your run so you’re not burning too many for your body to function healthily.
Improve mood
Exercise, especially running, releases endorphins, the happy hormone that improves mood. This release of feel good hormones can alleviate aches and pains including those experienced through the menstrual cycle and help fade away any life stresses that you may have – even if it is just for the duration of your run. In addition to this, if you’ve heard of the ‘runners high’ then your happiness could extend beyond your run. This is said to actually be a thing if you find the sweet spot for your run – push yourself but not too much and those pain relieving endorphins can leave you feeling great post-run too! Opting for an outdoor run over the treadmill is said to help improve mood due to natures ‘feel good’ benefits – double win.
It could be a form of meditation
With these endorphins flowing through the body and the rise of meditation how excited would you be if we said running could be a form of meditation? Improving physical and mental wellbeing in one? Yes please. The natural rhythm of running can help you connect with the present moment, your body and your natural surroundings which is desired to form a meditative state.
It’s free
If the offering of 365 wellness wasn’t enough to encourage you to lace up then here’s one your wallet will thank you for. Running is completely free, you just need some suitable clothing and you’re good to go and if you fancy a challenge or tracking your runs then joining parkrun is completely free too and provides a safe social atmosphere because running doesn’t have to be lonely!
So to sum up, if you’re a woman who wants to look after their physical, mental and financial wellbeing then running could be a great new hobby for you.
Inspired? Shop our favourite latest women’s running footwear and apparel below:
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