Running
The Effects of Running on Your Health
Physical Health
Running has several short-term and long-term physical effects on the body. In the way of short-term is better sleep, clearer concentration and thought, as well as increased energy. The better sleep you get and the longer you sleep, the more energized you will be the next day and you will have a clearer mind as well as a better attitude. The better you concentrate, the better you can resolve problems and complete work. Finally, increased energy will put you in a better mood and motivate you to go out and do more. Long term effects include many of the things we learned such as: burning calories, losing weight, preventing diseases, lowering blood pressure, and lowering blood cholesterol.
Mental/Emotional Health
Running, and exercise in general, make you happier in several ways. The first being that physical activity releases endorphins into your brain that make you feel better. It is like a natural high, in a way. The next is running enough gets you into good shape and it will make you feel more able. That is to tackle whatever comes your way, which links with the next point being self esteem. If you feel stronger and better about yourself, you will be more confident and able to do more things. You will feel better about yourself in general and you'll be doing better personally. The last effect is goal setting, which may seem a little odd when brought up with running and mental/emotional health, but it actually makes a lot of sense. When you set a goal and attempt to achieve it, you feel a sense of purpose and that feels good, making you happier. When running, especially in races, you can set goals pertaining to distance, time, and position finished. Whatever goal suits you best and that you can achieve.
Social Health
Exercise is a very social activity, as well as running. Runners tend to be there for one another during races and they get plenty of support from family and friends. Even if you don't race, your family and friends will most likely encourage you and support your running. Being with others while running, talking, and sharing the same personal interest can bring you closer together in the long run and you are truly working together, supporting one another, and connecting.
Intellectual Health
When you are running, there isn't generally a whole lot going on. It's just you and your thought, unless of course you are with someone or have some music. Anyway, it really gives you time to think, and not only that, but exercise clears your mind and helps you concentrate. You will be able to problem solve better during or after running and it is a great break during studying or homework because it will make you feel great, energize you, motivate you to keep going, and allow you to concentrate on your work a whole lot better than if you didn't run. Long-term, running will help you focus better on everything on your life due to the general mind-clearing and focus it provides.