What Running Does to Your Body

I often get runners asking me what benefits running has on the body, and I'm happy to say that there are many. Although you may hear stories of runners encountering health problems after a marathon, this is not typical.

You need to understand that this is a high impact activity and your body is going to go through some adjustments. Your muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments and brain are all going through changes.

We will begin by observing the changes that occur in the body when someone first starts running, and then examine the various benefits that running can provide.

Is there a downside to running? Are there any potential negative effects? I'll let you know, as well as how to get the best results from running.

Want to learn more? Then keep on reading!

What Does Running Do to Your Body When You First Start Running

You may feel out of breath and have an increased heart rate when you first start exercising.

But what exactly is happening.

As you breathe in, oxygen flows into your lungs and is pumped by your heart to all the muscles in your body. This oxygen and blood flow provides energy and is why you feel fatigued so quickly when you first start. Your body isn't yet efficient at this process.

However, if you keep at it, you’ll see that you have more energy to work with and you’ll feel better overall. In the beginning of your workout routine, you may not feel very well. This is because your stomach is hard at work breaking down different energy sources to fuel your muscles. However, if you keep at it, you’ll see that you have more energy to work with and you’ll feel better overall.

energy is created from Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). An organic molecule stored as glycogen in your muscles and blood. However, our bodies only store a small quantity of it, so once you start running, the body needs to produce more.

Carbohydrates are important for endurance runners because they need glycogen.

Your Body Will Need More Oxygen

Your body needs extra oxygen to produce ATP, so you’ll start breathing faster and harder.

Your body will start to use blood for non-essential functions, such as digestion, when you start to run. This is one of the reasons that runners may experience side stitches or runner's diarrhea.

At this point, you are burning calories, lactic acid is accumulating in your muscles, and your core body temperature is rising.

Other things you may notice:

Your face has started turning red. It’s caused by blood being diverted closer to the skin to be cooled.
You’ll probably be sweating heavily, which is also to help you cool.
Heart rate continues to rise because the body will feel like it’s working harder the longer you go.
Muscles will start to feel tight or heavy, this is simply because they need time to adapt.

What Happens To Your Body As You Continue Running

Your body will go through a comfortable cycle as you gradually get into better shape. Even though it won't feel easy at first, you'll eventually be breathing, sweating, and converting glucose to ATP smoothly.

If you are just starting to run, your body will not be as efficient and you will start to build up lactic acid faster than your body can clear it. This is when running starts to hurt because of muscle fatigue and less muscle contractions.

You need to slowly and steadily increase your activity levels to help your body improve its various functions.

Continued running will result in dozens of new benefits.

How Often Do You Need to Run For Benefits?

In order to see significant results, you must run for a minimum of 30 minutes on three separate occasions each week. It is also worth noting that running/walking intervals do qualify as running.

If you work hard and are dedicated, you will see some changes in 3 to 4 weeks and more noticeable changes in 6 weeks.

You don't need to wait very long to start reaping the benefits of running.

Some benefits of running can be experienced within 30 minutes of running, including an improved mood and relief from depression.

Now let's go over the benefits of running in more depth.

What Running Does for Your Overall Health

Now that we have seen the initial effects running has on our body, we will look at the benefits of keeping up a running routine.

#1 Improves Mental Health and Mood

The feeling runners get after a run, often called “runner's high,” is due to the release of endorphins and endocannabinoids. These are chemicals that create a sense of well-being.

Running for just 30 minutes can improve your mood and help you better deal with stress and anxiety, according to research published by the American College of Sports Medicine. 30 minutes of running was found to be enough to lift the mood of people suffering from depression.

Dopamine is a mood booster that is connected to the brain's pleasure and reward circuits, and running releases it.

No matter what running speed you maintain, the act of running itself has many psychological benefits.

#2 Helps Lower Stress

Any type of activity can help reduce stress.

In addition to the benefits of mindfulness, running can also help to clear your head and improve your mood.

The research found that going for a run is more effective than meditating when it comes to improving mood, reducing stress and cognitive function.

#3 Can Enhance Cognitive Function

Running can help boost cognitive function due to the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. According to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology in April 2017, aerobic exercise was found to improve executive functioning in people with cognitive impairments.

More blood flow and oxygen during a run means more nutrients supplied to the brain, which could lead to the formation of new brain cells.

The size of the hippocampus increases with a regular fitness program, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The hippocampus is the part of the brain involved with learning and memory.

#4 Helps Sleep Quality

Results from many studies, including one published in the European Journal of Physiotherapy, show that people who run have fewer sleep problems and feel less sleepy during the day than those who don't run.

You may sleep better if you run at a moderate effort rather than running vigorously.

Furthermore, if you run for just 30 minutes a day, you will be able to fall asleep more easily and quickly. You will feel less tired and more alert, and your productivity and energy levels will increase. You will feel better overall.

#5 Stimulates Growth Hormones

High-intensity running can help improve your performance by stimulating growth hormone production. Growth hormone helps to build stronger muscles, and thus can improve your performance in running and other activities.

If you want to get stronger and faster, you should run regularly and train properly. Running a lot will help you get faster naturally. This is why you see elite runners doing lots of easy running in their training. Doing this gives you lots of speed benefits.

#6 Improves Insulin Sensitivity

The meta-analysis in Sports Medicine showed that running can help improve the sensitivity to insulin and help fight insulin resistance.

Running significantly reduces the risk of developing type II diabetes by increasing insulin sensitivity.

#7 Improves Your Cardiovascular System

When you run your heart and lungs work together to deliver oxygen-rich blood to all of your muscles, making your cardiovascular system stronger.

Being active on a regular basis is going to help improve your cardiovascular health.

#8 Reduces Risk of Heart Disease

If you run regularly, you are less likely to develop heart disease or suffer a stroke.

Running can help to lower blood pressure by improving circulation and benefit key organs such as the heart and lungs.

#9 Strengthens Your Bones

Running is a good workout for your bones because it is a weight-bearing, high-impact exercise. This means that the repetitive pounding of the pavement strengthens your bones.

Your bones becomes stronger in response to stress in order to be able to handle the repeated impact.

If you mainly run for your exercise, you may want to also lift some weights for your upper body to have a more balanced routine.

What does regular running do to the female body?

The Mayo Clinic discovered that running approximately six miles a week could add an additional three to six years to your life. Although running regularly will elongate your life, there are various benefits of running specifically for women.

High intensity anaerobic running is one of the most potent stimulators of growth hormone. Growth hormone contributes to stronger muscles which enhances performance. By frequent running and proper training you will gain strength and speed which is similar to the effects produced by steroids.
Running helps to burn calories. Fast running burns more calories than slow running. This helps to lose weight and can make you closer to your dream body.
An American study found that female runners produce a potent form of Oestrogen hormone much less than their sedentary counterparts. This will protect female runners from developing uterine, breast and colon cancer by reducing the risk by around 50%.
Running helps you get healthy skin by stimulating circulation. Running can help to transport oxygen and nutrients to the skin while flushing out waste products and byproducts of oxidative stress. You will notice that your skin will be clearer with a healthy glow.
Running keeps you physically active while helping you to fight effects of ageing because it reduces stress.
Osteoporosis is often considered a “Woman’s Disease” as it is prevalent among many post -menopausal women. Osteoporosis can lead to fractures in women. As frequent running strengthens your knees and muscles as well as increase in bone density, you will be better protected from osteoporosis related fractures. Running also helps to protect joints and reduce inflammation. When you have a stronger body your metabolism will increase, bone density will improve as well as your overall health will be increased.
Running releases endorphins which are “feel good” chemicals. Even just 30 minutes of running can improve your mood and fights stress and anxiety. A peaceful state of mind will definitely show in your outer appearance as you become more lively as well as physically fit.
Running improves the sensitivity to insulin and fights against insulin resistance. By increasing the insulin sensitivity, running reduces the risk of getting type II diabetes by a significant percentage.
Heart disease and strokes are the main causes of premature death in women. Regular running is found to reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes in females. Running is also known to reduce your blood pressure. Running boosts health of your vital organs such as heart and lungs by improving circulation. This will improve your overall health.

How does running change the physical appearance of a woman?

Your body composition affects your physical appearance. Body composition is how much of your body consists of water, bone, fat, lean muscle and organs. Running regularly can help you increase lean muscle and decrease subcutaneous fat.

Your genes and diet play a major role in how likely you are to get cancer.

To maintain a healthy body, you need to have a healthy balance of fat to muscle. Fat helps to regulate your hormone levels and provides energy. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy ratio of muscle to fat. Your body weight is determined by the amount of energy you consume versus the amount of energy you burn.

Running can help you lose weight by creating a calorie deficit.

What does running do to your calves?

Stretching before running is important to prevent injuries and get the most out of the workout. Running is a great way to tone calves and shins. Calf muscles are used a lot while running, so this is a good way to get them in shape.

Does running affect your thigh muscles?

The front of the thighs are made up of the quadriceps and the back of the thigh by the hamstrings. Running works both of these muscle groups well, allowing for fat burning and increasing lean muscle mass in your thighs, giving you a toned look.

Does running make your butt bigger?

The type of running you do can affect the shape of your butt. Your butt is made up of the pelvic bones, the gluteal muscles, and fat.

Running targets your legs and butt muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and glutes. Regular running will definitely get you a toned, fit body, but will not make your butt bigger unless you work out specifically on your glutes.

While marathon runners do not have big butts, this is not the case for sprinters. Sprinters train their glutes through weight lifting to improve performance.

Can you lose arm and shoulder fat by running?

If you want to slim down your arms, you'll have to be patient. Running causes fat burning throughout the entire body, so with time, your arms will get slimmer. Adding some weight training to your routine will help speed up the process and tone your arms and shoulders.

Does running affect your belly fat?

If you want to reduce fat from your whole body, including your belly, you need to create a calorie deficit by eating less and exercising more. Walking, running, and other aerobic exercise will help burn calories and tone your muscles. A healthy diet is also essential for reducing belly fat.