Running Woman +5.6 years Man +6.2 years
Each running step activates 200 of the body’s muscles. Running is measurable; you count kilometers and minutes. You see where you were beginning your journey and how far you have come. The effort pays off and tastes good afterward. Calling yourself a runner is life-changing - the effort is worth the positive effects.
Your journey will inspire others around you to take their first steps on the running track. If you win the Vasaloppet, you get a victory wreath - give yourself an imaginary laurel wreath after each run.
For me, every running step is a pleasure, and I run one to two miles along the sea and in the pine forest every other day and finish with a cold bath. Vocabulary and training are the world’s best and most helpful combo. It makes training more fun and reading active (nobody calls a bookworm).
I run with birdsong in one ear and an audiobook in the other. My running style can be improved, and after my interview with Malin Ewerlöf, I run with my eyes forward, breathe through my nose, have my thumbs up, hold my arms at 90 degrees, and swing with them as it is the elbows that should move. Mark Allen, who won 6 World Championships in Ironman, advised in my interview to vary the pace and length.
Running is a natural and straightforward sport, and it is believed that man started running to be able to hunt animals. The first competitions were the Tailteann games in Ireland between 1171 and 632 BC. Running at the first Olympic Games took place in 776 BC. For many, the ultimate world record in sports is the 100m, set at 9.58s by Usain Bolt.
Positive effects: The Copenhagen City Heart Study analyzed 1,878 joggers followed for up to 35 years compared with 16,827 non-joggers. It found that jogging 2.5 hours per week at a slow or average pace and spread over three times per week was associated with the lowest mortality. Running increased life expectancy by 6.2 years in men and 5.6 years in women. Curiously, those who jogged the longest (over 4 hours per week), at a fast pace, and more than three times per week lost much of this increase in longevity.
Schnohr P., Marott J.L., Lange P. and Jensen G.B. : “Longevity in male and female joggers: the Copenhagen City Heart Study”. Am J Epidemiol 2013; 177: 683.
An analysis of research on running and longevity showed that runners have about 25-30% lower all-cause mortality than non-runners.
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/15/898
In one study, Stanford researchers compared college runners in their 50s with college sedentary runners of the same age and with the same first-rate medical care. After 21 years, the runners’ mortality was more than 50% lower.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC31756...
Researchers from Johns Hopkins said: “We have solid evidence that exercise helps you fall asleep faster and improves sleep quality.”
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-an...
Even if you don’t start running until later in life, research shows that you are protected against brain plaques that can contribute to Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline. Running increases heart rate and blood flow, which provides the brain with oxygen-rich blood.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/...
A study of exercise habits and cancer in 1.44 million adults in the United States and Europe found that runners and fit exercisers had a lower risk of twenty-six different types of cancer than those who did not exercise or were in poor condition. Exercise reduces your cancer risk.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedic...
An analysis of research on running and longevity showed that runners have about 25-30% lower all-cause mortality than non-runners.
In one study, Stanford researchers compared college runners in their 50s with college sedentary runners of the same age and with the same first-rate medical care. Twenty-one years later, mortality was more than 50% lower among the runners.
Many people start running for better fitness. But soon, the runners give a new answer to “Why do you run?”. They answer: “It makes me feel better.” They talk about feelings, mood, and mental energy. The evidence for the effect is overwhelming. An analysis of exercise and depression found that exercise is an effective treatment for depression. Exercise was found to be as effective as psychotherapy and prescription medication and an effective adjunctive treatment for depression.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/...https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/39/11/20...
Leisure time running is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. One study followed more than 19,000 adults for over six years and compared the rate of diabetes in runners versus non-runners. Results: The runners had a 72% lower risk of developing diabetes.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/...
Tip: Being a runner in Sweden is unique as the right of way allows you to enjoy new nature during each run. Get fresh cushioning shoes and run on soft surfaces (listen to Nike founder Phil Knight’s biography Shoe Dog). Running reduces the risk of osteoarthritis, and it is essential to prevent injuries so you don’t have to treat them. Prehab instead of rehab, says my PT. Make a long-term plan that increases distance and frequency slowly so the body gets used to the strain of each new mile run.
Treat yourself to healthy living! If you were given a car that would last you a lifetime, you’d probably treat it tenderly – what about your body?
Meet the dawn and birdsong with a run (the wind outside burns more calories than the treadmill). When you exercise in the morning, you have solved the most critical task of the day and invested in yourself. Then, you can enjoy the effects of the run during the day. When you feel well, you gain the strength to support and listen to loved ones. Who knows - if you’re single, you’ll meet the love of your life on the running track.
F L O W is a state that occurs when a runner, conductor, surgeon, etc., becomes engrossed in the activity and goes beyond their self-awareness while gaining a deep sense of control. At the intersection of performance and the difficulty of the activity comes Flow.
Flow is linked to development and success in sport. Flow leads to involvement in challenging activities as you set higher standards to maintain Flow. Flow is a key to a rich and developing life.
The person who founded the concept of Flow was Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He asks, “What makes life worth living?” Money does not bring lifelong happiness, but he found lasting joy and enjoyment in those who do activities that put them in Flow.
Runners High can be described as an enhanced state of Flow. The brain’s dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and norepinephrine give a feeling of total presence that time stops and fatigue disappears.