As it turns out, running is good for you!  Running is good for you whether you plod along or go at a race speed! This is great news for everyone but even better news for people who don’t run because they think you have to compete or be fast to be a runner.  According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology even FIVE minutes a day is good for you.  Five simple minutes!  Can you sneak that into your fitness program?  We sure do at our fitness camp!

“Compared to nonrunners, those who ran had a 30% lower risk of death from all causes and a 45% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, investigators found. In fact, runners on average lived three years longer than those who did not hit the pavement. When data was broken down by age, sex, body mass index, and smoking and alcohol use, the benefits were still the same.”

Let’s look at that last bit again:

“Even with all the negative factors, such as obesity, smoking and diabetes, those who were, let’s say, obese and ran had a less likely chance of dying from heart problems than those obese people who didn’t run. Same with smokers, diabetics, etc. ”

So, what about the pace or how often these subjects were running?  They had to be running at LEAST ten-minute miles for thirty minutes a day, right?!?  Wrong.

“The speed and frequency of a person’s running routine did not make a huge difference either. The data showed novice runners who ran less than 51 minutes, fewer than 6 miles, slower than 6 miles per hour, or only one or two times per week still had a lower risk of dying than those who did not put on running shoes.“

So, how does this work?

“Activities like running can lower your blood pressure and decrease the production of glucose, which cuts your risk of developing diabetes, according to the American Heart Association. Running also seems to protect the innermost lining of the arteries, keeping the walls and cells intact, which cuts the risk of blockages or clots that can cause strokes or heart attacks.”

That is pretty amazing, just getting out there and hitting the pavement for less than an hour a week can help your cardiovascular health.  According to the study, consistency was the key factor, you couldn’t just run for five minutes once a month and count that as good for your heart.  Here at Unite Fitness Camp, we do what we call intervals, run for a couple of minutes, walk for a minute, on and off.  If you did that five minutes a couple of times a week consistently over time your risk of cardiovascular disease would go down.

Heart health in such an easy form!

Don’t let preconceived notions of what being a runner is stop you, everyone can get out there and hit the pavement/track/treadmill and anyone who does that, is a runner!  Not all runners get up at the crack of dawn to put in thirteen miles.  Some hit a treadmill for five or ten minutes whenever they have the time in their day.  Not every runner competes: I know there are tons of races out there from Fun-Runs to Boston Qualifiers but running is a personal sport and you can do it solo, in a group, for one mile or for 50, for a medal or for the fun of it, it is completely up to you.

A few words about running for those beginners out there!

• See a doctor first and make sure they OK you for running!
• TAKE IT SLOW TO START!  Running is fun and you may be tempted to just throw on the shoes and hit the pavement for as long and as hard as you can go the first time out.  Don’t.   Seriously, just don’t.  Running is best approached with ease.  Take it gradually, find a training program such as Couch to 5k and ease in to running even if your goal is just around the block.  When you take it easy and build up your ability you cut down your risk of injury.  What is the point of doing something for your heart if you are just going to sideline yourself with an injury?  Just remember easy does it, build a base before you tackle your next goal.  What you are working on should become easy before you move on to the next step.  This will help prevent injuries now and in the future.
• Listen to music, run with a friend, go solo, run outside, hit a treadmill, go to a track.  Find what works for you and know that it will probably change, I went from not being able to run with music to never running with it.  I used to love the loop at Liberty Park, now I can’t stand it and prefer City Creek Canyon.  Some days I just want it to be me and the road, other days I want a friend along or maybe one of my dogs.  Just do what works for you and recognize that it is OK to switch it up.
• Stay hydrated!  Running = sweat and making sure you stay hydrated is important both before and after your run, so drink up!  Water is fine for most runs, unless you are in a desert and the air is sucking the moisture out of you or you are REALLY sweating or staying out there for a long time you probably don’t need an electrolyte. Just make sure you drink plenty of water and carry some with you.
• Have Fun!!  This is about health, but you won’t stick with it if you don’t think it is fun.  Do what works for you and find your running groove and you will be able to make this a lasting change in your life!  Just know this: At some point every runner hates running and questions why they do it.  Every. Single. One.  So, if you find yourself in a slump don’t give up and know that we have ALL been there.  This week we took the group to Sugarhouse Park, a hilly, beautiful place and challenged our fitness camp guests to run/walk, on and off.  Boy did they work up a sweat and had fun doing it!