Get a Running Start On Your New Year’s Goals
This Is Your Year
It’s no surprise that starting a running regime tops the charts as the #1 goal of fitness seekers. Not only is running a great way to get fit and lose weight, but it’s also just a great deal. If you’ve got the will and a pair of running shoes(which can be easily purchased on close-out sale with all those holiday gift cards you’ve acquired), you can start immediately, no joiners’ fee or long-term contract required.
These benefits are enough for most to strap on their kicks and get started. But, there are also a slough of other perks that will not only increase your ROI, but also keep you motivated to stay consistent. And we all know that consistency is key when it comes to long term success with any goal, particularly in the business of fitness.
Contemplating your own New Year’s Resolutions? Unlike most trend-following fit pros, I encourage any of my clients who have interest, to get running. And I help them do just so. Here’s why…
Running Is The Best Form of Rhythmic Cardio
This fact gets easily overlooked but the truth stands: Lifting weights faster does not fulfill all of your cardio requirements. HIIT workouts done with strength moves will certainly make the walls of your heart stronger. Your heart will need to work hard to pump blood to your body and adapt accordingly. But this is just one half of the cardio equation.
When prolonged tension is placed on your blood vessels(as with lifting weights), blood flow back to the heart is actually restricted. And the walls of your heart will not adapt and EXPAND over time correspondingly as they should in relation to the thickening of the walls we just covered. This creates an increase in pressure that can actually put you at higher risk for cardiac episodes.
Running however, does improve your heart health more completely. The sequencing of muscles during the motion actually allows for increased venus return to the heart, forcing that expansion of the ventricles that your heart needs to stay strong and healthy.
So, if you’ve been thinking you should add some cardio into your fitness routine, you probably should. And running is a perfect way to get all the benefits your heart desires.
Running Will Give You That “Fit” Look
Yeah, you know what I mean here. That lean but shredded physique that gives the impression that you could rock a red carpet, but also crush a quick 10K if you needed to straight after. Defined, but not necessarily jacked.
This physique phenomenon is not a genetic anomaly, but merely the result of improved glycogen storage in your muscles. Glycogen is a source of energy for your body. This little adaptation occurs from the result of endurance work, not from heavy lifting as you might imagine. Although, it’s important to know you’ll need strength training to ensure there’s muscle to be pumped in the first place.
When your body is asked to do prolonged bouts of works, it must begin to use glycogen as fuel, instead of just ATP(bio lab flashback!). That glycogen that’s stored in your muscles has certain H2O binding factors that help it give you a “shredded” look. Yes, your body depletes it during the run, but going forward, your body learns to become more efficient and keeps better stores on the daily. Those glycogen molecules will in turn rip more water from underneath your skin and suck it into your muscles, further defining those lines that make us look “fit.”
So, if you’ve been hoping to fend off the fluffier look you normally rock in the colder months(those hibernation instincts are strong in 14-degree cold of New Jersey), running can give you that bikini-ready look in March.
Running Helps Your Brain Become More Resilient
Yes, we all know that exercise helps release some feel-good hormones that can help you deal with chronic mental health issues like depression and anxiety. But, running also releases the chemical norepinephrine.
Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter, but it’s also an important hormone present during the body’s stress response - your “fight or flight” mode. Running has been shown to increase the production and storage of norepinephrine, effectively allowing your body to manage it’s response to physical and mental stress better.
So, if you feel you’ve been dealing with stress poorly or you know you’ve got a tough couple of months coming up, starting a running regimen can be a great way to troubleshoot or preventatively balance.
Get a Program
All of these potential benefits from running paint a very bright future. But, it’s all just speculation until you actually get rolling. You’ve got to be consistent with your efforts and meticulous in your planning. You could just hit the road and start logging miles without any more awareness or knowledge, but this is how most fitness seekers drop off by February.
Learn more by clicking the link above or purchase before the sale ends here!