Running is the most accessible and rewarding type of sports. And the most natural. After all, we have been running since early childhood. And in order to run, you don’t need special equipment, or a special place like a gym. In the article we will talk about what types and techniques of running are and what effects can be achieved.
The Benefits Of Running
Most people go in for sports, necessarily devote time to running. Running works all the major muscle groups in the body and uses up a lot of energy, which leads to weight loss, muscle strengthening and a beautiful figure. But the slimming effect is more of a side effect than the main one. Running is very beneficial for health, and this is its main purpose.
Running strengthens the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, which is the prevention of heart and lung diseases. But you need to run with caution if you already have heart problems.
Running changes the oxygen and biochemical composition of the blood, which leads to the absence of oxygen starvation and a decrease in the risk of cancer. Running has a positive effect on heart rate, stimulates metabolism and contributes to many more beneficial processes in the body. It’s important to keep track of your heart rate when you’re running.
At What Age To Start Running
We start running at a very early age: from the first year and a half of life, right after we have learned to stand firmly on our feet. Running is the most natural sport for humans.
Children run intuitively correctly. If your child enjoys running, develop this healthy habit in them, run with them. It’s never too late to start running. The main thing is to watch your health and your child’s. No need to push beyond that.
When I was coaching little kids (boys and girls of about 10/11) I found that it was not really getting them to run was the problem but rather getting them to stop! I was acting as their coach for competition and I had to find the balance between keeping it fun but also serious. You also have to watch each child’s ability, some children are lazier than others and some have more energy and ability than others.
The bottom line is that when working with children on sports, you need to take each child as a case by case basis. But make sure that if you’re just looking to spend some time with your kid, to make it fun!
It is important to note, that in some diseases, running is contraindicated, in others, on the contrary, it is encouraged. Seek the advice of your doctor before running.
What Goals Does Running Help You Achieve
People starting to run pursue certain goals. Basically, this is the improvement of the body, improvement of physical fitness, maintenance of tone or the desire to lose weight.
Some people like the process itself. In any case, to achieve your goals, you need to run correctly, so as not to harm yourself, and for this you need to know the basic techniques and types of running.
Basically, non-professional runners should practice the continuous training method for health and weight loss.
You need to run at a steady pace 20-40 kilometers a week. This is about 30-60 minutes 2 times a week, 20-40 minutes 3 times a week, or 90-120 minutes 1 time a week. Such training is considered optimal for the health of the body. It is not advisable to exceed these numbers, as it can negatively affect your health.
Separately, it should be said about the need to run for 90-120 minutes once a week. Such a run is effective, but a beginner often should not practice it, because the body receives a one-time strong stress.
The best option is a measured run 3 times a week. Because the recovery period for the body after such loads is approximately 48 hours. Running more than 3 times can lead to fatigue and injuries without giving a healing effect, and is possible only if the load during running is small (15–20 minutes), since recovery from these workouts takes several hours.
This is personally what I do, I run about 10km 3 times a week for about 30km in total. I don’t train competitively anymore but run rather for the health benefits. This not only helps break up the week and keeps you fit, it can be a massive boost to your morale.
Many professionals struggle with their careers but if you set yourself a physical goal and you meet it, it can do wonders for your confidence, which bleeds over to your other aspects of life.
Types Of Running
There are many types of running. I’ll take a look at the most popular ones. The running technique and the trainers’ explanations can be seen in the videos at the bottom of the page.
Interval running
This is a great run for beginner runners. Or even for runners who are looking to ease back into the routine after a break. As a rule, this running technique alternates between a fairly fast run, jogging and striding at specified rest intervals. It is important to stick to your training session, your body will likely not be used to the alternating speeds and your body will tell you to stop.
However it’s important to keep going. However if you keep feeling dizzy and/or going to throw up, that means you are at your physical limit and you should stop.
You will notice a gradual increase in your strength and stamina fairly quickly. Those of us who were runners in the past will notice a difference just after a run or two but those of us who are novices, it will take a week or two.
In this case, this training program should be adhered to for at least 3 months, to increase your stamina and strength. You need to do it three times a week, running for 30 minutes.
Gradually, the load should be increased and gradually switched to running without interruption. You will feel terrible at first but keep at it and it will get better. Trust me, I’ve been there!
Jogging
Running in which a slow pace and short steps are maintained, and the speed of movement is slightly higher than when walking fast.
In jogging, the flight phase is much shorter than usual: as soon as one leg kicks off the ground, the other leg immediately drops to the ground.
A very popular type of jogging among casual runners, it is very effective for a recovery workout or morning run. This type of running can also help you relax after a hard day. I personally like jogs when I know that I’m not able for a tough run that day and I still want to do something.
Jogs, as just mentioned, are great for warm ups. Even if you are not looking to improve your running, jogging is a great way to warm your body up for any number of sports.
Easy running
This is a health-improving and strengthening training type of running, which can rather be attributed to race walking. It is often called footing – walking at a high speed. Sometimes even walking at a good fast pace is called footing.
Light elastic running at a speed of 10-12 km/h landing on the outer arch of the foot with a soft roll over the entire foot and simultaneous forward rotation of the pelvis. Take-off with the foot is carried out quickly, in one touch, the push is soft.
This type of running is not as easy as it seems at first glance. For the proper effect, the training should be prolonged.
Sprint run
Running short distances at maximum speed for short distances. This look is good for the development of physical muscles. Can be combined in training as an interval: sprint run – light run – footing.
This is a good segue into the two main types of muscles (it’s more complicated than that but for the purposes of this article it will suffice) that you use when you are running. You have what are called slow twitch fibres and fast twitch fibres.
Slow twitch fibres are responsible for long sustained muscle activity and fast twitch fibres are responsible for explosive short bursts of activity. In sprinting, we are mainly concerned with fast twitch fibres and it is these muscles you are working out when you sprint.
Fartlek
Translated from Swedish “speed game”. Alternation of different speed running modes in one workout. This type of running is similar to interval running, but much more difficult.
In fartlek, there is usually no cyclical repetition of intense intervals and rest. Fartlek is a cross-country run: if you do fartlek, you will run sometimes fast, sometimes slowly, sometimes you will go to a fast pace.
I still remember the first day my coach made me do these and the sinking in my stomach whenever I heard they were on the agenda for the session. We would run at an easy 60% effort for about 500 metres followed by a mad dash of about 90% effort for about 200 metres. A full circle would be two of each and often we’d do a session of three.
Fantastic for your training but my God they were awful.
How to Relieve Stress: Sports Exercise against Bad Mood and Depression
With modern lifestyles becoming ever faster, knowing how to manage stress is becoming a highly sought skill. This will not only make life more enjoyable but also greatly increase your quality of life.
I know when I go for a run, it really puts things into perspective and I generally feel good afterwards too!
Barefoot running
The kind of running that went into vogue a few years ago. The athlete should run barefoot or in shoes with very thin soles. Mastering the technique of this type of running is not difficult.
However, you need to be careful that if you are not used to walking or running barefoot, make sure that you choose a path that is free of debris. If your feet are not used to rough surfaces, you can easily develop blisters and other injuries.
Imagine standing barefoot (you can try at home). It is necessary to rise a little on the toes and shift the balance forward – in order not to fall, you will have to take a step forward.
In this position, it is impossible to step on the heel. From this moment, start running at low speed, take small, light steps, focusing on your toes. At the same time, you should feel that you are running and a little squatting, like a duck, while keeping your body upright.
The implication is that the runner subconsciously first puts their foot on their toes. In this case, the muscles and ligaments of the foot and ankle absorb the impact on the leg. This moment is associated with a lower likelihood of injury while running.
Running on the spot
A kind of running, familiar to us from childhood. You can do it both at home and in a small room. The technique of running in place is elementary, but there are three types of peg in place: an ordinary one with high knees and a “high heel”, when the heels tend to touch the buttocks.
I also talked about some hurdling techniques to help speed up your running, and one particular technique, high knees, would be particularly helpful for running on the spot.
An athletic figure – vitality for people
In theory, we know that cardio training leads to improved heart muscle function, which leads to an active enrichment of all body cells with oxygen. Life-giving gas fills the lungs and enters the brain.
A person immediately feels a surge of strength, as the metabolism begins to work actively – to break down fats and carbohydrates, releasing energy. Higher oxygen also increases our creativity and elevates our moods. It’s part of why people who are suffering from depression should do all they can to exercise as it will help them to break the mold.
It worked for me!
An excellent result is facilitated by the fact that the load on the muscle mass and joints occurs by its own weight, without weights (you can wear weights, but this is recommended for athletes with experience). This leads to the fact that the figure becomes fit, but not inflated, if you do not comprehensively train on strength machines.
As a result, you get a lean, athletic body, but stay awake all day. Below we will take a closer look at each nuance – why running is useful or harmful.
The Science Of Warming Up For Exercise
Unheated muscles that have been little used all day (and if you exercise in the morning, they were relaxed after the night), are not able to take a large load immediately. Lack of a small charge in your muscles is the main cause of injury. It is this approach that can be called harmful, since you can get:
- Rupture, stretching of the tendon
- Tucked foot due to fragile ankles
- Back pain, neck pain
During the warm-up, the internal body temperature rises, synovial fluid begins to be produced, which literally lubricates the muscle mass, all joints. All ligaments become more elastic. Also, the heart rate gradually increases so that a sudden start is not a shock for the heart. You literally prepare all parts of the body.
Body benefits of running
- Psychological attitude
- Breathing is normalized
- Coordination of movements is strengthened – especially important with morning runs
- Blood flow accelerates, the heart muscle works faster, blood vessels expand – the risk of heart attack and stroke when running becomes much less.
- The nervous system gets used to the loads, realizing that they are health-improving, and if you jump from the start at full speed, you get stress.
- Metabolism starts – starting from the first step, you will spend extra calories.
- The possibility of injuring the ligaments decreases.
Dizziness and the urge to vomit cannot be called normal. If they accompany your training, then something went wrong. However, almost all athletes have had to deal with this problem. There may be several reasons, as well as solutions.
The first possible mistake is eating a large meal before starting exercise. Either you ate too much, or food that is difficult to digest, and then waited less than an hour before running. As a result, the body must solve two difficulties at the same time – spend energy on muscles and assimilate food.
Usually there is not enough strength for the second, begins to feel nauseous, pricks in the side. The way out of this is to eat at least 2 hours, and 40-60 minutes before cardio, you can eat a maximum of one whole grain loaf or a special bar with muesli.
The second possible mistake is exactly parallel to the first – insufficient nutrition, namely, there are few carbohydrates in the blood. If you are on a strict low-carb diet, then you should not run. The benefits of jogging can only be if the body contains all the trace elements, the full composition of the BJU. It is considered useful to knock out sweet tea an hour and a half before class.
It can also be a health problem such as low blood pressure. It may decrease or be low initially. Then nausea will be accompanied by dizziness and darkening in the eyes with sudden changes in body position.
If you are a meteosensitive person, choose the right weather for cardio training, and in case of pathology, you should take medications prescribed by your doctor or special food – coffee in the morning not only invigorates, but also increases blood pressure. In any case, you should consult with a specialist.
If you exercise in a hot room or outdoors in the sun, your body temperature rises by a maximum of 1 degree. This, as well as the internal heat generated by the muscles, leads to active perspiration as an effective way of cooling the body.
Significant fluid loss from the body can lead to severe dehydration, which can lead to nausea and dizziness. Similar signs appear with heatstroke.
How not to overheat while running
- Choose gyms with good air conditioning
- Run in shady places in summer, wear a hat
- Take a small bottle of cool water with you, sometimes take small sips
- In winter, exercise only in high-quality sports suits made of breathable fabric and with good ventilation
If you have chronic diseases or exacerbations of diseases, then you need to see a doctor. Only he, taking into account all the nuances of your condition, will say whether running is useful or harmful for you at the moment.
Balance your diet, jogging and sleep schedule, take water with you and dress correctly, then you will not feel nausea and dizziness.
Effect on the body as a whole – when there will be benefits
If you do not take into account the negative aspects associated with poor warm-up, insufficient preparation and health problems, then jogging will only bring a positive effect. This requires:
- Warm up before starting to run, at least 15 minutes
- Make up a daily routine, get enough sleep, eat nutritiously, but do this no earlier than 1.5-2 hours before class
- Choose good clothes with ventilation and breathable material, dress for the weather
- Monitor your health – measure pressure, buy a heart rate monitor, if you feel unwell, postpone running
- Buy shoes with good shock absorption, so as not to achieve flat feet, severe blisters or a tucked foot
- Use specialized sports fields, treadmills or find a suitable path in the forest, in the park, away from the exhaust gases of cars
With these guidelines, you can be sure to achieve a high running performance. And we will give you 14 reasons why you should start classes at all
Strengthening the cardiovascular system
The heart muscle becomes stronger and more elastic, the heart drives more blood, providing oxygen to all cells. The vessels expand, each capillary is filled with blood cells.
It is for this reason that the face turns red. All this leads to the cleansing of the blood flow from toxins and toxins, from stagnation – the risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes is reduced.
Energy and vitality for the whole day
If you exercise in the morning, then after waking up, jogging will be the most effective way to wake up every muscle and organ. All of them are saturated with oxygen, the metabolism works more strongly, and therefore our fat reserves are an energy source. The result is a burst of energy, easy recovery and a good night’s sleep.
Why Runner’s High Is Worth It
One of the best feelings in the world for me personally is when I finish a run and a massive surge of feel good hormones makes everything feel amazing.
There are two mechanisms at work here:
Dopamine saturation. This is one of the hormones of happiness, which is produced, for example, during a long hug or when eaten chocolate. So, in addition to being in a good mood, you will receive a wonderful bonus – you will stop craving sweets very much.
Your own self-esteem rises, because you conquer yourself, your laziness, and also set new own records. It is always pleasant and enjoyable.
Oxygen levels
The oxygen starvation of the brain is eliminated. Due to the gas pollution of the air, frequent sitting at the computer, a sedentary lifestyle, thoughts begin to get confused, and a lot of people lose their edge.
This is easily avoided by running in a well ventilated area with clean air. Memory improves, the speed of thought processes increases, and efficiency increases, now you will stop getting tired after work and feel overwhelmed in your day.
Why jogging is useful for your figure
Cardio is the most effective way to lose weight and tighten loose skin. The fact is that with prolonged cardio workouts (30-40 minutes of slow jogging), an aerobic process begins, in which energy is taken from lipids. In contrast to this, they put anaerobic loads, they are also power ones.
Then carbohydrates and proteins are involved, which are used to build muscle mass. We conclude that if you want to lose weight, squats and swinging the press will not be effective, you need to run.
This burns calories, and the water comes out along with toxins and waste products – the skin becomes firm and smooth. You will also naturally drink more water after your run and this will help with your overall health too.
Endurance
Lastly, the heart muscle is strengthened, it can tirelessly pump blood for a long time, your whole life in fact. Physical strength grows, and at the same time you cover long distances every day.
In tandem with this, you will be increasing your lung capacity so your at rest heart rate and breathing will be much lower than before. I’ve always had a fairly low heart rate of high 50s for most of my life, however my dad’s heart rate at his peak was in its low 50s or high 40s, enough that it panicked nurses when he went in.
This is normal and your heart rate can drop once your fitness improves as your heart gets better at pumping blood around the body.
Metabolic Benefits of Running
Slow metabolism is at the root of excess weight gain and imbalances in protein, fat and carbohydrates. All vitamins are also poorly absorbed. In order to start the metabolic process, it is necessary to create an energy deficit – the body has to actively take up micronutrients in order to replenish energy needs.
Another reason for improving metabolic functions is the removal of toxic residues from products, without them, the blood better supplies oxygen to all organs, including the gastrointestinal tract system.
Another thing to bear in mind is that in most countries and indeed most of us reading this blog/article, don’t have food shortages. There are obviously exceptions but by and large we can eat when we want. This had led to a strange phenomenon among humans with regular eating.
Our bodies have evolved over millennia to be able to hold onto nutrients to get us through the lean times. However, since many of us no longer suffer from lean times, our bodies are hoarding all of these resources. This can lead to obesity, diabetes and various cancers. Therefore exercise is vitally important to keep our bodies in check.
Strengthening the muscle frame
Flabbiness is not common for runners. During the run, all parts of the body are involved – arms, biceps, abdominal, buttocks and, of course, legs. After 2-3 weeks you will feel a significant improvement in your figure and muscle conditioning.
As I mentioned earlier, there are two broadly speaking types of muscle groups when it comes to running. Slow and fast twitch muscles for running. Running long distance will mean you are making yourself leaner as your muscles lengthen and strengthen. Running shorter but faster distances makes your muscles shorter and denser, adding bulk.
I’ve personally preferred the lean look so never put too much emphasis on building up mass, however if I wanted to do it, I would do it like this. I would first lose the weight by running long distance to lay down the lean muscles. Then I would focus on weight gain and faster but shorter runs (sprints or farlek) to build up bulk.
How Running Affects Quality Of Life
Monotonous work and household chores lead to a loss of interest in the world around you, and sports open up new horizons – dating, going to the gym or being in nature more often. Running relieves work stress and stress at home. You can find a hobby club, make new friends, and choose a new tracksuit and trainers.
Discipline
The main victory is over oneself. At first, it is difficult to get up early every day, go outside in different weather, carry out the workouts promised to yourself even on holidays.
But after 21 days, a habit is developed. Thanks to this, you will become more disciplined at work, as well as in personal matters.
Is Running Good For The Digestive System
Of course, yes. In the process of movement, blood actively flows to all organs of the gastrointestinal tract, saturating them with oxygen and trace elements. Intestinal peristalsis (how food moves in your gut) improves – you will not be at risk of constipation due to a sedentary lifestyle.
The liver, pancreas and gallbladder are also cleared of harmful substances. And the stomach gets used to the meal schedule, starting to produce gastric juice before breakfast (the appetite improves) – so all the food will be digested correctly, and the feeling of fullness will come on time.
Loco-motor apparatus
Some bones, joints, tendons are not actually used “in everyday life”. Most urbanites have virtually no flexibility; stretching is a luxury for them, while for runners it is a warm-up. All bones start moving, the shins stop crunching when squatting, the spine becomes flexible, and posture improves.
The risk of developing osteoporosis, osteomyelitis, osteochondrosis decreases. The muscle framework also has a beneficial effect – the stronger it is, the less weight on the spine.
Mental Health & Running
Willpower develops, self-confidence and self-respect increases. A person begins to love themselves more – this removes multiple problems, depression being a major challenge. This is something that I am particularly passionate about as I have struggled majorly with depression in the past and running did wonders as a coping mechanism until I got the help I needed.
Weight loss
To lose weight, you need to run for at least 40 minutes a day, and you should carefully monitor your diet. You need to consume a sufficient amount of clean water, reduce the intake of fats and fast carbohydrates, it is better to have breakfast with whole grain cereals than to eat a cake. It is most effective to alternate between different types of movements.
Making your classes as useful as possible
- Choose a clean place with fresh air, preferably in the morning, before 8:00.
- Buy a heart rate monitor and monitor your heart rate.
- At the gym, take a program with a trainer for the correct execution technique.
- Increase the load gradually.
- See your doctor before starting sports.
- Eat right.
- Quit bad habits, smoking and jogging are not compatible.
- Choose comfortable sports shoes and clothing, do not skimp on equipment.
- Contraindications and possible harm
- If you have a lot of weight – more than 100 kg with a height of up to 180 cm, you should start with walking, strengthen the muscular frame, otherwise problems with the spine may appear.
- Women should not run during pregnancy and with heavy menstruation – it can lead to uterine bleeding.
- If you have bronchial asthma or serious heart disease, musculoskeletal system, it is better to find a less mobile way to tighten your figures.
In the article, we talked about the benefits of running for health and the human body. Start changing your life now!