My Top Ten Reasons to Run
#10 It's good for the heart. You can lower your blood pressure quite a bit by running regularly and that ticker will last a hell of a lot longer if it gets the workout it needs.
#9 Makes your bones stronger. The impact from running increases bone density which is crucial as we age, especially for women. Recent findings support that lower impact exercises, while helping your heart, don't do much for those bones.
#8 Lowers stress. I can speak from personal experience on this one. If I don't get my regular runs in I get crabby and I don't sleep as well. And no matter how I feel prior to a run, I ALWAYS feel better after one. Always.
#7 You can eat more of what you want. I enjoy food and because I run I need to consume more calories than the average woman my age. That said, I have no idea how many calories I consume each day. I know I eat enough to feel good and I don't put on weight, so that's enough for me!
#6 It's good for the kids, too! Kids today are at high risk for obesity because of increasing sedentary lifestyles, but children who witness their parents taking part in physical sports are much more likely to follow suit and get the exercise their little bodies need.
#5 A good excuse for some alone time. Who couldn't use a little time out of the house alone? I know for myself that even a few minutes away from the demands of being a mom of little kids really refreshes me. It's not at all the same as being alone in the house or getting time to watch a show or something. This feels like good, quality time that's spent making me a better person.
#4 You can wear cool things like this. Well, not if you're a guy, I guess.
#3 It makes you feel like a kid again. Nothing brings you back faster to childhood than running around. You might not be as limber as a ten year old, but you'll find with some effort you can be a hell of a lot faster than one!
#2 Racing is fun. If you can run three miles, you can run a race. And the opportunities for races grows every year and it's a great way to meet new people and put yourself to the test. Also, free snacks afterward!!
#1 You will get to know yourself a lot better. Running strips you down and builds you back up. You learn a lot about your inner nature when you push yourself physically, and running is a sport that demands much of both your body and your mind.
Okay, so there's my two cents. So what are your reasons for (or against!) running?
#9 Makes your bones stronger. The impact from running increases bone density which is crucial as we age, especially for women. Recent findings support that lower impact exercises, while helping your heart, don't do much for those bones.
#8 Lowers stress. I can speak from personal experience on this one. If I don't get my regular runs in I get crabby and I don't sleep as well. And no matter how I feel prior to a run, I ALWAYS feel better after one. Always.
#7 You can eat more of what you want. I enjoy food and because I run I need to consume more calories than the average woman my age. That said, I have no idea how many calories I consume each day. I know I eat enough to feel good and I don't put on weight, so that's enough for me!
#6 It's good for the kids, too! Kids today are at high risk for obesity because of increasing sedentary lifestyles, but children who witness their parents taking part in physical sports are much more likely to follow suit and get the exercise their little bodies need.
#5 A good excuse for some alone time. Who couldn't use a little time out of the house alone? I know for myself that even a few minutes away from the demands of being a mom of little kids really refreshes me. It's not at all the same as being alone in the house or getting time to watch a show or something. This feels like good, quality time that's spent making me a better person.
#4 You can wear cool things like this. Well, not if you're a guy, I guess.
#3 It makes you feel like a kid again. Nothing brings you back faster to childhood than running around. You might not be as limber as a ten year old, but you'll find with some effort you can be a hell of a lot faster than one!
#2 Racing is fun. If you can run three miles, you can run a race. And the opportunities for races grows every year and it's a great way to meet new people and put yourself to the test. Also, free snacks afterward!!
#1 You will get to know yourself a lot better. Running strips you down and builds you back up. You learn a lot about your inner nature when you push yourself physically, and running is a sport that demands much of both your body and your mind.
Okay, so there's my two cents. So what are your reasons for (or against!) running?
Labels: moms who run, reasons to run, running
posted by Kristen @ 11:39 AM
9 Comments:
At 3:06 PM,
Ernesto Burden said…
Those are all great reasons! Though you're right -- I'll not be adding a running skirt to my wardrobe anytime soon. If I were going to add a few reasons to the list, mine would be: 11. more energy throughout the day, 12. enhanced personal discipline in all aspects of the life, 13. deeper connection to my spiritual life, especially on the long distance runs.
At 11:00 PM,
Stefaneener said…
I'm with Ernesto (although I'd dig the skirt -- maybe guys should get Spandex kilts?), as it's the amazing finding that I have the discipline to get out there every time and just put in the push and make myself do it. You see, before I started to run, I thought of myself as a fairly undisciplined person. But I can't be, because I get up and run three times a week (when I'm not coughing up bits of goo like now).
And looking great in clothes and feeling younger are big side benefits.
At 4:14 AM,
Anonymous said…
I think all your reasons are great! My big excuse is my knees! They just won't take running anymore! It's the pits getting old!(But I sneak in a walk/run on mornings when I'm pushed for time!)
Peg
At 8:24 AM,
Kristen said…
Ernesto- Yes, good additions, in particular the spiritual connection. I think everyone experiences that to one degree or another.
Stefaneener- I don't consider myself disciplined at all, and yet somehow I manage getting out, too! I think the impetus for me is when the kids begin in with the "Mommy? Mommy? Mommy!" and then I think, "oh, hey- wasn't I just gonna go for a run?" ;> I'm still on the fence about the skirts. My sister says she would absolutely love one, and I think I might feel self-conscious wearing one. Not if I was in a race in which all the other racers were wearing them, though!
Peg- You get out and exercise regularly anyway, so you're all set. And yes, you need your knees so you got to take care of them!
At 12:55 PM,
Anonymous said…
I feel the same way you do--about swimming. There is issue with swimming not being enough impact on the bones, but everything else measures up (for me.) Although take swimming out of the equation and I am a walker. I walk briskly up and down hills about 25 miles a week. I've tried running, I've really tried. A lot. I have the discipline required to keep something up (I walk, for example, when I COULD be running, technically.) But running does not grab me emotionally the way swimming/brisk walking does. It feels "wrong" for me when I do it. I'd never argue that with someone, though, because I think what you've described is a perfect example of what the RIGHT exercise will do for you physically and emotionally. Other things that don't work for me are bike riding and roller blading. But I love stair climbers and ellipticals. It's just a matter of finding what's right, and all the rest will take care of itself :)
At 5:16 PM,
Kristen said…
For me the downsides to swimming are a)lack of access to water and b) having to wear a swimsuit! c) and chlorine dries out my hair and skin in a major way and I look goofy in a bathing cap. Yes, to each his/her own and as for me, I'll stick to the pavement!
At 1:30 AM,
Creative-Type Dad said…
Knees is my reason.
At 10:15 AM,
Anonymous said…
You're right about the downsides. I live five minutes from a great pool facility, but I often wonder what I'd do if I didn't. And as for the hair, yes that can be a real challenge. I have to wash it with special chlorine removing shampoo and conditioner, and I also rub the conditioner in my hair before I swim. It doesn't help that the shampoo is hard to find. I also have to wash my swimsuit in chlorine wash because otherwise chlorine ruins suits within a few weeks. And like the shampoo, the chlorine wash is also hard to find, even online. And the suits can get pricey, as well. Cheaper suits don't survive more than a month or so, even WITH the chlorine wash! As for having to wear it, well, THAT I don't mind, LOL!
At 3:14 PM,
Kristen said…
CTD- Now with all that chicken you eat you should have super human knees. I can't back that up with any science, but it just seems logical...
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