Psychological Benefits of Running

As I was running through the hills near where I live I was thinking that it’s great just to take a break away from the office, away from the computer, and away from stress. Even if it’s just for a short time. There’s a lot to be said for tuning out the world for a while on a run and the psychological benefits of running.

Psychological benefits of running

Here’s another good article by Judy Mick that discusses that topic:

Most everyone knows that there are great physical benefits of running. It keeps you healthy and in super shape. But, many don’t know that running in great for you mentally as well. Here are some ways that running makes you stronger mentally as well as physically.

Running provides great stress relief. There are several ways that this happens. If you have a problem that you need to figure out how to handle, a long run gives you the time to sort it out in your mind. You’d be surprised how clearly you can sort through things during a 2 hour run.

Also, going for a long run can just clear your mind. If you’ve got many things going on in your life, a nice run can help to just get away from things. Many runners will take this time to be by themselves and just be out on the roads – themselves and nature.

Others will run with someone to have company and just forget about their problems.

Another way that runners deal with stress is just going out and blasting through a run. If it’s been an overly stressful day, you can go out and do some speed work. This will help to get all that stress out of you. Trust me, it feels great!

Running will improve your attitude. There are those that think “runner’s high” is a myth. But, there is something to be said about how good you feel after a run. The release of endorphins that accompanies running does make you feel better and keeps you a happier person. There are even some doctors that prescribe a running routine for their patients that are suffering with depression. For these runners, this also helps them to focus on something else rather than their problems.

A regular running program will also improve your confidence. This can happen in many ways. This confidence can come from goals that you set and accomplish. Many runners start running as a means to lose weight. As they reach this goal, they gain confidence to keep on running and it spills over into their everyday life, also. Runners also gain confidence from setting other goals, such as training for a specific race distance, tackling that big hill, getting faster, etc.

You know how running benefits you physically. Isn’t it great to know that running will also help you keep a good attitude and in a good mood? For many people, this may be even more important.

Running is a simple sport – but there are also many things that you need to know and be aware of. Sign up for my Free weekly newsletter at Runner For Life for advice to stay out on the roads and keep running for life.

swiggies Wins Toyman Award for Best Innovation & Quality

The consumers have voted an award for innovation in the Toyman Award of Excellence and the winner is swiggies, wrist water bottles.

With the summer heating up, it’s even more important for kids to be hydrated. Swiggies, wrist water bottles are a fun way to get kids to drink more water. Swiggies unique, patented hands-free design makes it easy for them to drink water on the go.

And since 60 million plastic water bottles are thrown away every day in the U.S., with only a fraction of them being recycled, swiggies is a great, green alternative. They are BPA-free and have been approved by Child Safe International.

“With swiggies, parents and coaches don’t need to remind kids to drink water. It’s right there on their wrists,” says Tom Root, president of HOPSports, a national after-school fitness program for kids.

Dehydration places kids at risk for serious conditions, like heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which can be life threatening if left untreated. But dehydration is completely preventable as long as kids drink enough of the right kinds of fluids.

Hill Running: Benefits and How to Run Properly

Being a hiker and a runner, hill running is a great way to combine the two. If I can’t get to the mountains to hike, hill running through the streets is the next best thing. Here is an article about how it benefits you as a runner and how to do it the right way:

Hill running is something that runners may not like to do, but know that it will make them a stronger runner. Hills are not easy, but they can get easier for you to maneuver. There are several benefits of running hills. Read on to find out how hills can benefit you as a runner – and the proper way to tackle hills.

Running hills will strengthen your calves, hamstrings, quads and glutes more so than running on flat surfaces. This will definitely make you a stronger runner and will make running seem easier on all surfaces. Strengthening these muscles will also help prevent injuries from running.

Hill running will also help you to get faster. Believe it or not, the same muscles that you use to run hills are the same ones that you use for speed work. So, when you come to a hill, just remember that it has many advantages for you. Running hills are something that many runners put into their schedule about once a week to make them a stronger runner.

To properly run hills, you want to maintain the effort that you were with when you started up the hill. Yes, you will run slower up the hill, but you make it up the hill without running out of breath when you reach the top. Your stride will shorten slightly as you go up the hill depending on the degree of incline. Then, you will lengthen it back out to normal as you reach the top of the hill.

You want to run up the hill with your back straight – or maybe leaning a little. Many runners make the mistake of hunching over as they run up a hill. This will hamper your breathing as you run up. Make sure that you are looking straight ahead – you don’t want to keep looking at your feet. Running with incorrect form will make hills seem a lot tougher than they are.

Your arm swing is important to getting up hills, also. Your arms should be moving forward and back as you normally do as you run. Also make sure that are not clenching your fists. This will make you overly tired and will also restrict blood flow through your arms as you are pumping them to run up the hill.

With knowing how hills benefit you and help you become a stronger runner, you may just learn to like running them. Especially if you are using correct form.

National Running Day

If you see a lot more runners out today it’s probably because it’s National Running Day. The running industry has dubbed the first day in June a day when runners everywhere lace up their sneakers and hit the road, or trails, or the treadmill.

Cities and small towns across the country are planning running events to celebrate the fact that running is a free, easy… okay it’s free, way to work off stress.

So, grab a friend, two legged or four legged, and head out for a run to celebrate. To find out more go to:

http://www.runningday.org/

Summer Running

The end of spring signals the beginning of the summer running season. And, depending on where you live, that means a few months of hot weather. You can always run indoors on a treadmill, but nothing beats running in the outdoors, especially going to new running locations and checking out a change of scenery.

But you do need to prepare for summer running and it’s advisable to spend a couple of weeks of gradually building up your tolerance to it. Here are some tips to keep in mind while running in the summer heat:

Run in the morning or in the late evening to avoid the intense mid day sun. Studies have shown that runners who do run in the morning are more likely to stick with the program. If you want to do an early morning run, sleep in your running clothes. It might sound crazy, but people that do it swear that it works.
If you can’t run in the morning or late afternoon, at least try to pick the shadiest route, like trails through the woods or parks with a lot of trees. It’ll be better for you to run on the trails than on asphalt.
Don’t forget the sunscreen, even if you are running early in the morning or late in the afternoon. As long as the sun is out, put on the sunscreen. Make sure it’s an SPF 15 or higher.
Adjust to the heat by keeping the air conditioning off or turned down. If you have to, use a fan.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drink water 30 minutes before you head out and drink 6-8 ounces every hour or so. If you’re going on a long run, make sure you hydrate with a sports drink. Try to avoid any kind of liquid or substance that will further dehydrate you like caffeine, cold medicine, or diuretics.
Wear lightweight clothing, but stay away from cotton. Wickaway or polyester is a good way to go. They have more of a cooling effect than cotton, which can weigh you down as you sweat. Also, make sure they are loose fitting.
Dip towels in ice cold water and drape them around your neck, put them on your forehead, and have them ready when you finish your run.

Slow down or stop running if you have any kind of symptoms like dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, headache, clammy skin,confusion, loss of concentration, excessively rapid breathing, etc.

Summer running is great as long as you prepare beforehand, stay safe, and pace yourself.