Global Running Day 1st June 2016
From a 1km fun run, to 100km Enduro, running is a fantastic way of staying fit and healthy. Did you know that scientific studies have shown running to prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some cancers, and a host of other unpleasant conditions.
Did you also know adults should do 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week that’s only 30 minutes, 5 days a week, and running counts towards that goal.
Running doesn’t just help you physically, but also mentally. When you exercise you release a chemical known as endocannabinoids, which gives you that ‘feel good’ factor or ‘runners high’. A 2006 study in the Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that a single bout of 30 minute exercise could improve an individual’s mood.
Ever heard that running is bad for your joints and bones, well research suggests that running helps mobility of the knee and hip joints and actually the impact of running helps improve bone density, keeping away osteoporosis, while the same studies that focused on osteo-arthritis found that runners were no more likely to suffer with osteo-arthritis than non-runners.
Running is also a great way to maintain a healthy weight. Start slow, for a short distance and build it up. Aim to not increase your distance by no more than 5% each week, just to make sure you don’t overtrain.
Example 5-week starter programme – (suitable for someone that has not ran before, or for a long time)
Week 1
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Walk for 20 minutes | Rest | Walk/Jog Warm Up for 5 mins
3 x 200m Fast Run with 2 mins REST inbetween | Rest | Rest | Run for 5 mins at a comfortable speed rest as needed | Rest |
Week 2
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Walk for 25 minutes | Rest | Walk/Jog Warm Up for 5 mins
3 x 200m Fast Run with 2 mins REST inbetween | Rest | Rest | Run for 5 mins at a comfortable speed rest as needed | Rest |
Week 3
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Walk for 5km | Rest | Walk/Jog Warm Up for 5 mins
5 x 200m Fast Run with 2 mins REST inbetween | Rest | Rest | Run for 10 mins at a comfortable speed rest as needed | Rest |
Week 4
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Walk / Jog 5 km | Rest | Jog Warm Up for 5 mins
3 x 400m Fast Run with 2 mins REST inbetween | Rest | Rest | Run for 10 mins at a comfortable speed | Rest |
Week 5
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Walk / Jog 5 km | Rest | Jog Warm Up for 5 mins
5 x 400m Fast Run with 2 mins REST inbetween | Rest | Rest | Run for 15 mins at a comfortable speed | Rest |
*Cool down by bringing your heart rate down slowly to your resting level, and finish off my stretching off your major muscle groups.
More experienced runners would benefit from strength and conditioning exercises that can be done in your local Everybody Gym alongside a running programme.
Foods helpful for Running
The main food source all runners need is carbohydrates, and more specifically wholegrain foods (brown pasta, rice, bread, and wholegrain cereals). They will give you long lasting energy, and as it is released slowly into your system you won’t get the sugar spikes found with their white counterparts. Carbohydrates are your bodies go to energy source. So low carb diets will not be helpful here, but too much will be stored in the body meaning more weight to move, every step you take.
If you want more information and advice about the types of exercises and food that will help with running speak to one of the health and fitness advisors at your local Everybody Centre.
References
Bartholomew, J. et al. (2005). Effects of Acute Exercise on Mood and Well-Being in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 37 (12), pp 2032 – 2037.