It’s no secret that running is a perfect exercise that recruits multiple muscle groups at once. If you’re looking to find out more about the benefits of running, you’re in the right place!
Today, I’ll provide you with a list that includes the 22 benefits of running a mile a day. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
22 Benefits of Running A Mile A Day
1. It Improves Your Cardiovascular Health
Kicking off the list with one of the most popular benefits of running. However, this time, it’s backed with science!
According to a study performed on over 55,137 adults, leisure running is associated with the reduction of:
- Cardiovascular mortality rates
- All-cause mortality rates
2. It Helps in Maintaining Blood Pressure
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 150 minutes of physical activity, like running for a mile, can significantly maintain a healthy blood pressure for all ages.
3. It Boosts Your Productivity Levels
According to this study performed on employees in workplaces, running and exercising has an excellent impact on overall performance. It was also noticed that the days that lacked exercising had:
- Lower overall morale
- Less productivity when compared to active days
- Higher levels of workplace stress
The study also found that the more exercise, the higher the productivity levels. While it’s a work-related study, it’s safe to assume that the same applies to students and all other aspects of life.
4. Improves Your Self-Image
According to a study by the University of Florida, maintaining regular exercise has an excellent impact on how you look at yourself.
The meta-analysis of up to other 57 studies found that running boosts your self-image whether you’re fit or unfit.
5. It Can Fight Diabetes
Maintaining a healthy habit of running a mile a day isn’t only great for people with heart problems. In fact, even diabetics and pre-diabetics can benefit greatly from running.
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), running improves the sensitivity levels of insulin within your body.
This allows it to function properly and lower your blood sugar levels quickly, as your muscles use a lot of it as energy to run a mile!
6. It Helps You Overcome Daily Stress
There are many studies that found that running can actually enhance your overall mood by helping you overcome stress. One study even found that running can stimulate the same pleasure and reward centers that some recreational drugs do.
7. It Improves Your Creativity Levels
When you’re in a good mood, your creativity levels are skyrocketing. However, a study also found that exercises like running can boost the levels of creativity even independently from your mood.
8. It Improves Your Physical Fitness
If you’re on a diet, you’ve got half of the equation right. To make the most out of your weight loss plan, you have to include cardio exercises.
One of the best exercises that you can include is running for a mile a day. Many studies confirm that running is one of the best workouts for weight loss if coupled with a healthy diet.
9. It Helps You Study Better and Retain Memories
If you’re a student who’s looking for a method to up his studying game, running can be your secret weapon to stimulate the memory centers in your brain.
10. It Helps You Make Better Decisions
A neuroscientist team from RedBull found that running can improve the executive functions of the brain, which guides you towards making better decisions.
11. It’ll Make You Burn More Calories Even in Idle State
It’s no secret that running will help you burn a lot of calories. But did you know that it’ll make you burn even more while not running?
According to research on that aspect, maintaining a 45-minute exercise every day boosts your metabolic rate for 14 hours after the exercise. Did you know running backwards burns more calories?
12. It Can Help You Enjoy a Better Sleep
If you’re having trouble sleeping comfortably at night, one way to solve this problem is by running a mile a day!
The International SportMed Journal found that running helps you sleep easier and quicker at night. Not only that, but it also improves the quality of your sleep.
13. It Boosts Your Adaptability Levels
One study found that maintaining the discipline of daily running will also help you adapt to different life situations and cope with it.
14. It’ll Encourage You to Eat Healthier Food
Many runners noticed a change in their behavioral habits when it comes to choosing better and healthier food. Surprisingly, science backs this up too!
15. It Can Help You Fight Daily Fatigue
Whether you want to fight daily fatigue or improve your overall activity throughout the day, running is the key. A meta-analysis found that habitual running can help your body overcome fatigue and perform better while exercising.
16. It Improves Fertility for Males
A recent study shows that running has a positive impact on sperm count and general male fertility.
17. It Helps in Correcting Attitude Issues for Kids
Kids can also benefit greatly from running. In addition to releasing some of their extra energy, it helps in correcting attitude issues for kids.
18. It Keeps Your Cholesterol Levels in Check
According to studies, running every day lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and boosts the good one (HDL).
19. It Helps Your Avoid Bad Habits
Avoiding bad dietary habits isn’t the only thing that running can do, but it can also help people to avoid other bad habits like excessive drinking.
20. It Boosts Your Cognitive Functions
A lot of evidence shows that running induces a lot of changes to the structure of the brain, boosting the gray matter, which is responsible for cognitive functions.
21. It Reduces Depression Significantly
A lot of therapists recommend running as a remedy for chronic depression and anxiety attacks.
22. It Lowers the Risk of Number of Cancers
A lot of studies link running with reducing the risk of many cancers, such as brain cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer.
Wrap Up
There you have it. A complete list of the 22 benefits of running a mile a day. As you can see, running, in general, is a perfect exercise that our bodies are just built to perform. Just don't forget a good pair of running socks!
The best thing about running is that you can do it indoors, outdoors, so you have no excuses!
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Hi, Jeremy Here,
I am the the guy behind Train for a 5K. On this site, I share everything that learned along my running journey. The content I create is the running training I wish I had before we started this journey. About Jeremy.
I have run over 250 races including the California International Marathon, Clarksburg Country Run, and various other 5K & 10K races throughout the United States. I am a former Athletics department employee at University of the Pacific and Shoe Consultant with Dicks Sporting Goods