Benefits of Running

All the ways running has helped me.

I believe running has played a big role in keeping me healthy well into my sixties – and my doctors agree. I haven’t experienced any real illnesses. I don’t have high blood pressure like so many people my age and I’ve never even had a headache.

Besides running, I think good nutrition has helped me stay healthy. Back in the 50s, my dad used to give us a spoon of cod liver oil. I still have one every day. While I don’t take any other vitamins or supplements, I try to get my nutrients from natural food.

The science behind the benefits.

I’m not a doctor, but science has proven that running improves your health. Running turbocharges your body and speeds up the interaction of your immune system to fight off illness. Think about it like a turbo car engine that compresses exhaust gas and sends it back into the engine. Your intestines also perform at a higher level, absorbing more nutrients and expelling less waste. Everything just works better.

And the benefits aren’t just physical.

When you get into double-digit mileage on a run, your thinking changes. You’re totally focused on the action of running, not your ‘to-do’ list or daily concerns. When you get into the zone of running, everything falls away and you can think more clearly than ever.

Running has also helped me on an emotional level. It’s allowed me to deal with negative experiences by ‘running to deal with the pain’, like during my mother, brother, and father’s passing. One day, as I was about to leave for an early morning run (5am) in the Parkville community, I received the news that my father passed away. The pain was so bad, but my father would have wanted me to keep going, so I did. At the time, I was preparing for the transcontinental run and doing 18 miles a day. I truly believe that morning run helped me deal with the pain and prepare for the day.

If your health is a priority, consider running.

These are just some of the amazing phenomena and health benefits I’ve experienced and attribute to running. Only you know what’s right for you. If you’re planning to change your exercise habits, you should consult your doctor. When I was training for the transcontinental run, I worked with a doctor throughout my training period and during the run itself.