We all want to have good general health. We usually read a lot about the topic: a wide variety of exercises, diets, supplements, alternative techniques, etc. There are endless possibilities.
But there is also a popular saying: the simpler, the better. Did you know that running and stretching regularly can be the foundation for good health? Let’s see what are their benefits according to recent scientific studies.
5 benefits of running for your health
Doctors and scientists have been saying for quite some time that running has significant benefits for our cardiovascular health, but even so, many people are reluctant to start an exercise routine. It turns out that running has many more benefits than we may think.
- Rejuvenates your cardiovascular system.
We already knew about the cardiovascular benefits, but running can also take away several years of age from your overall circulatory system — and therefore from you.
- Helps your brain work better.
Running frequently helps with the formation of new neurons, but it also increases the blood flow to the brain. All this leads to improving your cognitive capacity in general. It can also help prevent your brain from shrinking over time.
- Helps you fight stress.
Exercising with a certain intensity can promote the release of certain hormones in the body that make us feel well-being. This helps to reduce our stress levels, but also anxiety and depression.
- Helps release pain joint, especially in the knees.
Recent studies have shown that people who follow a regular running routine tend to experience less pain in their knees. Although you’ve to be careful if you have an injury — a good chiropractic physician can help you with that.
- Helps you lose weight and look better.
Running is one of the exercises that burn a lot of calories, but it also improves blood circulation to your skin, and that makes it look much better.
And these are just some of the many benefits than running can give you.
Why is it a good idea to include stretching in your regular exercise routine? Again, if we ask a professional trainer, he/she will tell us that doing stretching exercises can:
- Improve our performance for exercise.
- Reduce the risk of injury.
- Improve blood and synovial fluid circulation to our joints.
- Improve the range of movement in our joints.
- Fight some of the stress effects on our muscles.
Have you ever noted how athletes tend to stretch before and after the action in professional competitions?
This is an indication that stretching makes your body work better for sports activities like running, for example.
Just a couple of tips if you’re planning on doing a stretching routine on a regular basis:
- Avoid stretching without first warming up your muscles. This could cause an injury to your muscles.
- If you’re short on time, just 10 minutes of stretching is enough time to reap the benefits. Focus on your large muscle groups.
- Try to breathe slowly and rhythmically as you stretch — this also helps you relax.
By the way, if you have an injury that in any way prevents you from starting an exercise routine, did you know that a good chiropractor can help you treat various conditions such as?:
- Flexibility problems
- Conditions in the back, neck, and joints
- Fibromyalgia
- Persistent migraines
If you want to improve your overall health, here’s the information you need to get started.
