It’s snowing outside, it’s cold. It’s much nicer at home. Anyway, give yourself a shake and go for a run. Now is exactly the time to start.
Yes, I am absolutely serious: you should start running right now. Of course I also know that it is snowing and cold. But it does not matter.
Why? We have been stuck in the pandemic for months. And take a look at yourself. What was your farthest path that you have gone today? From your desk to the printer? And have you already noticed that you have put on a bit of weight around the stomach in the last few weeks? You are not alone in this. The recurring lockdowns have literally shut us down. We all move less on average. This is not good.
Running is a booster for the immune system
Therefore, here are our tips on why it is worthwhile to start running right now:
1. Running is the perfect mood lift. Studies have shown that running is as effective on mental health for depression as drugs and behavioral therapy. Many experts even go as far as saying that if we all got enough exercise, there would be significantly fewer mental illnesses.
Due to the uniformity of movement, areas that are responsible for gnawing and circling thoughts are literally shut down. It is therefore not just a feeling, but a fact when runners report that they are less plagued by worries and fears after training. This turns the lap into a real break. Those who regularly put on their running shoes and start running are in a better mood and can process emotions better. What more do you want, especially in times of Omikron and Co?
2. Running strengthens the immune system. Studies have shown that active people who regularly exercise intensively have significantly fewer sick days than couch potatoes. No wonder, because muscle activity in sports such as running activates so-called immunoprotective processes. The body releases the stress hormone adrenaline and as a result the number of immune cells increases and they form a defense against viruses, bacteria and even tumor cells. To effectively strengthen the immune system, you should run an average of twelve to 25 kilometers per week. At a rather moderate pace, the pulse should be between 110 and 140 beats.
Incidentally, those who overdo it with training have the opposite effect and weaken the immune system. It is also important to give the body time to regenerate.
3. Runners have better and more sex. Surveys by the University of Arkansas showed that 80 percent of runners and 60 percent of women runners feel more desirable if they lace up their running shoes regularly and several times a week. In addition, runners in particular report that they orgasm more often. The reasons for that are complex. Of course, self-confidence and satisfaction in dealing with your own body are important. Those who like their body prefer to present it and express their own wishes much more often. An interviewee once said to me: “There are two options in life for women: you can torment yourself day in and day out with thoughts of love handles, despair in changing rooms, hate yourself in a bikini on the beach. Or you can see your husband in bed with the lights on Enjoy riding to an orgasm together. ” Since she started walking, she had decided to “light on” in the bedroom, she added with a laugh.
It is a form of self-confidence that perhaps only runners know. In addition to body feeling, there are of course also sex and happiness hormones and, last but not least, all sorts of positive effects on the processes in the body, which ensure more fun in bed.
4. Not only does it brighten your mood, it can also improve your brain performance. The biochemical messenger substances from the muscles have an effect not only on the physique, but also on the brain and psyche. For example, physically active children are better at school than inactive ones.
The formation of new nerve cells is stimulated
Aerobic endurance training stimulates so-called neurogenesis in adults, the formation of new nerve cells in the brain. This prevents Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s and numerous other neurological diseases.
5. Another positive effect of exercise in the fresh air, especially in winter, is that you get a little sun every now and then. This is particularly important for the formation of vitamin D. Although part of this important vitamin can be absorbed through food, the body can only produce the vast majority of up to 90 percent through the influence of sunlight. And that is often in short supply in winter. Why is vitamin D so important? It strengthens bones and teeth, influences muscle strength and is important for a functioning immune system.
There is more about the positive effects of running in the stern podcast “She runs. He runs.”
Source From: Stern
