Why I’m a Running Convert

I've never been a runner and I thought all people that did it were just a little bit crazy......but then a conversation with my Osteo after another long distance walk, combined with a close friend taking it up,  got me thinking that it was time to revisit my resistance to it.  

Walking has always been my 'sport' of choice.  Last year I did three different 35km walks over a period of about 3 or 4 months.  
It was after the third one that my Osteopath suggested that perhaps mixing up the muscle groups I was using might not be the worst idea.  I was continually using all the same muscles to the extreme, and it was leading me to some niggling aches and pains.  
It had also become apparent that I got very little cardio anymore from walking, unless there were a lot of hills involved.  Having just read the book Outlive which talks extensively about the benefits or cardio (and strength training), this all started to make me question my previous resistance to running.
So the next day, I downloaded the Couch to 5k app and off I went.  
The first few week was pretty easy - 60 second jogs off and on with big breaks in between.  The second and third week started become a bit more challenging.  Then I looked ahead and realised that the next week they wanted me to run EIGHT minutes non-stop and I just thought for sure I wouldn't be able to do it, so on that days run I decided to run longer than the app suggested and just see how far I could get to try and ease my worries for the following week.  Turns out I could get to 10 minutes relatively comfortably. 
People kept telling me that when you're running, you just hit this magical place where it all becomes easier and you get in the zone, and I thought they were all crazy - but a conversation with my son about the science behind it helped me understand that the first 5 minutes were the hardest for me and while I can't say I ever find it 'easy', there is definitely a point where I did reach some kind of zone, and 6 weeks in I reached the 5km goal.  

The benefits of running are numerous, and include some of the following:

PHYSICAL BENEFITS
- improves cardiovascular health
- improves muscle mass
- improves bone density - runners have the better bone mineral density than people who are sedentary or participate in low-impact activities such as swimming according to Osteoporosis International
- improves lifespan - one study of over 55,000 people showed that people how ran at least 3 times a week had lower risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality (30 and 45% respectively) compared to non-runners.  Even accounting for different lifestyles that runners vs non-runners might lead, other studies have found similar results. 

MENTAL BENEFITS
- can reduce stress - including lower the stress hormone, cortisol
- if running outdoors you also get the benefits of connecting to nature, and even better, if you join a parkrun, or run with a friend, you also get the benefits of human interaction.  
- improves neurotransmitters such as dopamine which can improve mental health
- improved memory and focus - regular exercisers have larger hippocampuses - the part of the brain associated with memory and learning. 

As we age, it's important to look at what we've been doing, and what we need to be doing going forward to achieve our health goals.  What worked for us before, may not be what we need anymore.  
For me - my focus has shifted to strength training and improving my cardiovascular health
which is why at the age of 44, for the first time ever, I've decided that running is now part of my exercise routine.
I don't always run 5km anymore - some days are harder than others depending on lots of factors - how well rested I am, where I'm at in my cycle, or just how good my motivation levels are!  But I do aim to run 3 times a week for at least 20 minutes, and I can definitely see improvements in my overall health.  

If you'd like to chat more about your health goals and how you can achieve them, book an appointment online at www.thenaturalclinic.com.au/bookings, or by phoning 03 5977 7342

Rebecca Milham
Naturopath
The Natural Health  & Wellness Clinic
12 Eramosa Road East, Somerville