Six Benefits of Running for 30 Minutes a Day
Running is one of the best and most healthy exercises that you can do. Still, you don’t have to run a marathon every day to benefit from the effects. As such, we’ve written this article to give you the six benefits of running for 30 minutes a day.
What’s more, studies have shown that running for just five to ten minutes a day, at a moderate pace, can help reduce the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and common illnesses.
Another one of the benefits of running for 30 minutes a day is that, after a few weeks, you’ll see that your food cravings aren’t as intense. As a result, after longer running sessions, you’ll want to eat something healthy. Below, we’ll discuss the most notable benefits. Happy reading!
The Six Benefits of Running for 30 Minutes a Day
1. Improves your mood
When running, your body releases endorphins, which improve your mood and make you happier. Interestingly, you can trigger the release of these hormones, even if you only run for 10 minutes.
A good example of how your mood is lifted through sports, is to review the results from a study that was conducted on employees. It found that employees were happier and more efficient on the days that they exercised. The researchers didn’t see the same boost in mood and performance on the days when employees didn’t exercise.
2. Significantly improves your heart health
Aerobic exercise is good for your heart. So, it’s no wonder that running can improve your cardiovascular health. Generally, the more you run, the healthier your heart tends to be.
But you can benefit greatly from running in short sessions too. Running for five or ten minutes a day, can add years to your life, this according to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
3. Relieves stress and depression
Exercise increases the amount of norepinephrine in your body. This is a chemical that can change the way your brain responds to stress and stressful situations.
As such, if you’ve had a difficult day, don’t hesitate to go running for 30 minutes. It will enable you to reduce your stress levels, and will boost your ability to handle mental strain.
In fact, running for 30 minutes is enough to lift the mood of those who suffer from major depressive disorder, this according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
4. Improves your sleep
Another benefit of running for 30 minutes a day, and we particularly want to emphasize this point–it can help you to sleep better at night.
In fact, a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, showed that regular runners experienced better objective sleep. They also found that their subjective sleep quality, mood, and concentration improved, while daytime sleepiness decreased.
Furthermore, exercise makes your body temperature rise and the decrease in temperature afterward can help you to rest better. This explains how exercise can relieve sleep problems by decreasing agitation, anxiety, and depression.
5. Improves cognitive function
Running for 30 minutes a day enhances cognitive functions such as, memory, thinking, and comprehension. You should know that when you run, the brain receives greater blood supply that leads to better cerebral oxygenation.
In addition, running can also reduce the symptoms of dementia and protect the brain against Alzheimer’s, even for those with a family history.
With the correct oxygenation, the brain’s training process is more active. That’s because it gets as much energy as possible to carry out your daily tasks.
6. Burns calories
Running really is one of the most efficient ways to burn calories, especially in terms of saving time and money. All you need is a good pair of shoes. You don’t need to go to the gym since you can run outdoors.
Also, the basis of weight loss is burning more calories than you consume and running is an efficient way of doing that. Each run brings you closer to a better body!
In closing, remember that you won’t immediately notice the best benefits of running for 30 minutes a day. However, if you do it regularly, you won’t have to wait too long. We’re convinced that you’ll feel much better after only a few weeks!