Regular running training strengthens all our muscles, but especially our hearts: Did you know that even beginners can lower their resting heart rate by approximately 10 beats per minute after just a few weeks of training?
Here are the facts from our expert, Sascha Wingenfeld, on why you should get your heart rate up several times per week!
Running makes you enthusiastic
Running is the easiest and most effective form of health and fitness training.
Just think about human evolution – the movements necessary for running have been known to mankind for millions of years. “Our bodies are geared towards this form of exercise. That might also be the reason why running is a real fitness evergreen,” says Sascha.
Running still is a trendy sport. Old and young, beginners and professionals, sales clerks and politicians – the enthusiasm for running is visable across all ages, performance and social classes.
People are fascinated by this activity and everyone can benefit from its numerous advantages: “Just like a health-conscious hobby athlete benefits from the highly effective training stimuli of running, professional athletes do so too while improving their basic endurance with running – the best endurance training method, by the way.” This basic endurance is, as the name suggests, the base for any form of athletic performance.
Running benefits your heart
Those who love running, will reap the numerous benefits of this activity. “These effects protect our body against today’s so-called ‘impacts of civilization’ while strengthening the entire body,” says Sascha. The positive consequences of our favorite activity even show in our blood:
- Blood fat level drops while HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol”) rises
- Regular running reduces the risk of arteriosclerosis
- Reduced production of stress hormones adrenalin & cortisol
- Improved blood circulation
- Lower risk of thrombosis
- Increased blood volume in your body
Those who are already active know how the heart starts pumping faster when under strain. Endurance sports like running are extremely effective when it comes to strengthening the heart. Sascha Wingenfeld knows the benefits for your most vital organ:
- Resting heart rate & heart rate under strain are lowered by regular running training
- Maximum oxygen intake capacity is increased
- Improved efficiency at doing cardio work
- A stronger heart leads to lower strain on your heart both during rest & under strain
The most important effect of running is the improved efficiency of your cardiac work. The improved performance can be seen after the first four to six weeks of regular running (3×30 minutes per week), even beginners can reduce their resting heart rate by 10 beats per minute.
Check out Sascha’s example:
Physical activity increases your heart rate, compared to spending time on the couch. For example, if you go for a 30 minute run 3 times a week with an average heart rate of 150 bpm, this means:
- 75 additional beats per minute compared to your resting heart rate
- 2,250 additional beats for every 30-minute run
- 6,750 additional beats per week
- 351,000 additional beats per year
On the other hand, by running 3 times per week for 30 minutes, you can lower your resting heart rate from 75 to 65 beats per minute because your body adapts to the physical strain. This leads to a reduction of:
- 10 beats per minute
- 600 beats per hour
- 14,400 beats per day
- 5,256,000 beats per year
Now, do the math & subtract the additional heart beats deriving from running from those you can “save” due to a reduced heart rate on the long run: This means approximately 5 million heart beats less per year!
“Running not only fascinates us, it also improves our well-being and makes us feel free. Plus, it actually ‘works’ – better than any form of medication or therapy,” explains our expert. “Don’t listen to your weaker self. Just start running!”
Do you love running? Go out & do it! Your entire body will love and benefit from it!
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Source: Fitness - runtastic.com
