How running can improve your health and help you deal with stress

 Austin Lewis Staff Writer

Thanksgiving is coming up and a lot of people are putting more emphasis on their workout routines to prepare for the annual feast. A really good type of exercise to do in preparation for this feast is cardio workouts, specifically running.

Running is an extremely easy exercise to preform. All you have to do is pick a route to run and go. It’s important to work on your pacing. The first couple of runs you go out on you’ll want to focus more on long distance running though.

Getting a steady pace down and a good breathing pattern will help immensely in trying to extend the amount of distance you can run without having to stop.

It’s also important to get a decent pair of shoes that don’t hurt your feet, this will save you a lot of time and pain after your workouts because your feet won’t be throbbing.

It’s also a good idea to find a running partner. It’s easier to go for a run with a partner because you can focus more on talking with them instead of how far you’ve gone or how tired you feel.

Running is also great for relieving stress. While you run, your body slowly releases endorphins to the brain, giving you euphoric sensations and usually a calm and happy feeling after you finish your run.

While you’re out running, its also hard to focus on the things that give you stress, because you’re too busy thinking about keeping a pace and moving your body.

These two things together make running a great stress reliever, during the process you forget about your stress and focus on the exercise, and with the leftover endorphins after the exercise you’ll feel better overall and can better deal with what is causing you stress.

There are also competitions for running. 5K’s, 12Ks, half-marathons, and marathons are all great ways to push yourself while running, and some events offer prizes to the winners. All of these events are also good because they usually support a cause and donate some of the entry fee into the foundation they are supporting.

While it might be a good idea to do some cardio workouts and go running in preparation for Thanksgiving, getting into the habit of running all the time can be very beneficial to your health and can help to relieve a lot of stress in everyday life.