Run for the Health of It 2022
Jun 01, 2022 01:27PM ● By Megan Rupiper, MS, Pearce Community Center
Why do we run? For the Health of It, of course! But what does “for the health of it” mean? There are many mental and physiological benefits that come from running or walking on a regular basis. For starters, when you participate in regular exercise such as running or walking, it works your cardiovascular system (your heart and lungs). Those health benefits include lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower resting heart rate, improved blood sugar control, lower waist circumference, and lower body fat percentage. Improving these metrics can reduce your risk for developing heart disease.
In addition to physical well-being, running or walking can also have a positive impact on your mental well-being. Studies have shown that regular participation in running, or walking can help improve memory, improve learning, lessen feelings of loneliness and isolation when done outside, reduce stress, reduce anxiety, reduce depression, and improve mood.
Where should you get started? If you are not currently participating in a regular running program then the best place to start would be with a walking routine. There are many great introductory programs such as Couch to 5K that alternate short segments of running with a longer segment of walking for a set duration of time. Over time, those short segments of running get longer in duration and those long segments of walking get shorter in duration. Eventually you work up to the ability to run for a long duration without walking. This method is a great way to prepare for a specific race that you may have in mind.
For a beginner who has never run a 5K before, allowing yourself 6–8 weeks of training will have you feeling great on race day. If you start your training now, you will be ready to participate in Pearce Community Center’s Run for the Health of It on July 9th. Should you feel like you need more hands on guidance in preparing for a race or general fitness guidance, Pearce Community Center has personal training staff that can help guide you and motivate you along the way. Let’s make this the summer of running For the Health of It!