Should I go Running everyday?

It’s a simple question, but the solution requires more than a yes or no answer.

Exercising everyday has been shown to have certain health benefits, and Running Everyday can also be beneficial in specific conditions.

However, pounding your legs on a regular basis without rest days might raise your risk of injury and burnout.

Frequency, along with duration and intensity, is one of the three fundamental components of training.

The frequency with which we run should be dictated by the duration of our runs and the intensity of our runs. 

Each runner is unique, and the answer to the question “should I go running everyday?” is dependent upon a wide range of factors that includes your overall fitness level and total running experience.

Is It Ok To Run Everyday?

Running everyday may provide some health benefits.

Running 5 to 10 minutes everyday at your normal pace can reduce your risk of death from heart attacks, asthma, and other common illnesses.

On the other hand, many types of research revealed that these benefits work the most for those runners who run at 4.5 hours per week, suggesting that there is no need to exercise for hours every day.

Running is a high-impact workout that can result in problems such as stress fractures and shin splints if overdone.

The number of days you can run safely each week is determined by your goals and level of physical fitness.

Your training schedule should include days for cross-training, strength training, and recovery. It should be aimed to make you a stronger and healthier runner.

Running everyday may raise your chances of developing an overuse injury.

Overuse injuries occur when a person engages in too much physical activity too quickly and does not allow the body to adapt.

They can also be caused by technical faults, such as running with poor form and stressing specific muscles.

To avoid an overuse injury, follow these steps:

• Make sure you have suitable running shoes, and you replace your shoes frequently.
• Raise the number of miles you run every week gradually.
• Alternate running days with cross-training activities like cycling or swimming.
• Warm-up before running and stretch afterward.
• Run with good form.

If you have a running injury, pause training and consult your doctor for a treatment plan. The RICE technique (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) may help you to recover faster.

Continue reading to discover more about the benefits and risks of running everyday, as well as tips for incorporating a daily run into your schedule.

Benefits of Running Everyday

While you are aware that running is a terrific form of exercise, you may be wondering if running everyday is a good idea.

After all, it is logical that the more you put in, the more you receive out.

That is partially correct. However, it misses one crucial point, i.e., running workouts put so much stress on your body, which results in inflammation and micro-tears that don’t get recovered easily.

You may end up losing momentum rather than gaining it if you don’t take breaks.

Running everyday can lower your chances of developing certain diseases.

However, it can cause injuries and general wear and tear on your feet, legs, and joints, compromising your overall health and performance.

While those hazards should be considered, some individuals nevertheless want to go for at least a short run everyday and believe it benefits them.

You are the one who is most familiar with your own body and its limits.

When establishing your running plan and whether or not to run everyday, balance the benefits and drawbacks.

There are several scientifically proven benefits to running everyday.

Running everyday promotes a healthy lifestyle and can lengthen one’s life.

Running even a mile a day has significant health benefits:

1. Lowers The Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease

The American College of Cardiology published research indicating that runners live longer lives than non-runners.

They published the results of research that found runners have a 30% reduced risk of death from any cause and a 45 percent lower chance of death from heart disease or stroke.

Even five to ten minutes of slow-paced running each day is connected with a significantly lower chance of dying from cardiovascular disease.

2. Enhances Sleep Quality

Running everyday promotes slow-wave sleep when you rest.

Slow-wave sleep is a deeper sleep in which your brain and body recover for the next day.

Running, because it improves cognitive functioning, can also assist your mind settle down when it’s time to sleep.

When your mind is able to slow down, your body can fall asleep.

Running promotes deep, uninterrupted sleep.

In one study, researchers studied a group of healthy teenagers who ran for 30 minutes at a moderate effort every morning for three weeks.

They performed better in terms of sleep, mood, and focus during the day than a control group of non-runners.

3. Relieves Anxiety and Depression

When you are stressed, your mind suffers the majority of the pressure. Running everyday relieves some of the tension.

You’ve probably heard the statement, “go for a run to clear your thoughts.”

Running boosts your attention and focus, which improves your overall cognitive function and drives away worry and depression, which is why it works for so many individuals.

Unfortunately, running will not fully eliminate anxiety or depression, especially if your doctor has prescribed medicine to help you feel better.

However, it has been demonstrated to considerably reduce the symptoms of many of these mental diseases.

The researchers discovered that people who were physically active were less prone to panic in stressful circumstances, even if they were anxious.

4. Reduces The Risk of Cancer

The British Medicine Journal published results from 14 distinct research that examined over 25,000 deaths.

Runners had a 23% lower cancer death rate than non-runners, according to the study.

5. Boosts The Maximum Oxygen Uptake

Oxygen must be effectively distributed throughout your body.

This implies that your heart pumps a specific amount of blood with each beat.

When you have a lower resting heart rate, you have a lower maximal heart rate (during intense activity). This permits your heart to pump more blood, increasing your lung capacity for oxygen – or, to be more precise, your VO2 max.

6. Elevates Your Mood

Running everyday can undeniably enhance your mood.

In reality, some people use running as an antidepressant.

When you run, your brain produces two significant “feel-good” chemicals, endorphins and endocannabinoids, which help to elevate your mood.

7. Makes Your Joints More Stronger

Research of over 75,000 runners and walkers published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise concluded that running does not increase the risk of osteoarthritis, even for individuals who run a lot of miles on a daily basis.

In fact, the study found that runners were half as likely as walkers to suffer from knee osteoarthritis.

Running everyday stresses your bones and cartilage, much like it does your muscles, forcing them to bounce back stronger.

8. Increases Your Life Span

According to research published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, runners have a 25 to 40% lower risk of premature mortality and live around three years longer than non-runners.

Runners who also participated in other aerobic physical activities on a regular basis, such as cycling, swimming, walking, basketball, and racket sports, had the biggest mortality benefit in the research, with a 43 percent decreased chance of death.

Mortality from respiratory illnesses, cancer, and stroke is insignificantly lower for runners compared to nonrunners in both genders.

Can Running Everyday Be Risky?

While there are several advantages to a regular running routine, there are also some important risks to consider while deciding whether or not to run everyday.

Running’s high-impact nature puts a lot of strain on your body, and running everyday without rest days can lead to injury.

Shin splints and stress fractures are two common overuse problems that can result from daily running.

If you are an experienced runner with a training plan that includes running 6-7 days per week, make rest a priority just as much as active training.

Pay attention to your body, don’t be hesitant to allow it to recover, and add some injury prevention workouts into your running regimen to avoid these injuries.

Factors That Increase Risk of Injuries By Running Everyday

The following are some of the factors that might raise your risk of injury while running everyday:

• Overtraining: Running beyond your present fitness level can put your muscles, tendons, and ligaments under stress.
• Inappropriate technique: Injuries can be worsened by a bad running style.
• Running with wrong shoes: The improper shoe might put you at risk for a variety of problems, including blisters and shin discomfort.
• Inappropriate gear: Wearing inappropriate clothing might also contribute to overheating, sunburn, or cold-related problems.
• Running on the hard ground: Running on hard surfaces, such as asphalt can result in problems such as shin soreness and stress fractures.

Why Should You Incorporate Rest Days In Your Running Routine?

The number of recovery days required varies on the nature and duration of your activity, according to data from the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

While some runners take one day to recover from a one-mile run, on the other hand, someone else may require more than two or three days to recover from a 10K run. Others, on the other hand, may need several weeks for the same.

A 2015 analysis of studies published in the journal PLOS One emphasized the risk of injury from excessive running.

Weekly running lengths of 30 to 39 miles in women and more than 40 miles in men, according to the study, increased the chance of an acute injury.

Overuse injuries in runners include shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, IT band syndrome, Plantar fasciitis, and Stress fractures.

Giving the body time to recover from the impact of a run is considered to lessen the chance of these injuries, which can keep you out of the game for a week to a month or more.

You may also notice that after a day off, you feel better and stronger on your runs.

Rest days lower cortisol levels, the so-called “stress hormone,” which may lead to anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, sleep disorders, and other health problems if physical stress levels stay high.

They also provide a mental break: you will be less likely to become burned out and bored with running everyday.

When Should You Take Rest Days?

If you determine that you could benefit from leisure days, the next step is to carefully plan them.

The best days to rest may vary depending on your running style when you generally run (and for how long), and if you’re preparing for a specific race.

If you run a lot of miles on weekends, for example, Monday may be a nice rest day for you.

If you’re preparing for a long-distance running event, such as a marathon or race, and you have planned to practice your long runs on Saturday, you should take a rest day on Friday so that you have enough amount of energy when you hit the track on Saturday.

For New Runners

Experts frequently advise beginner runners to limit their running to three or four days per week.

On running days, try to run for 20 to 30 minutes. Incorporate two days of cross-training workouts, and at least one day of rest per week.

As your endurance, speed, and aerobic capacity improve, you may progressively include more running into your training.

You may begin by running on alternate days. This will allow you to recover enough while developing a running habit.

On your days off from running, you can either take a complete rest day or engage in another workout.

For Experienced Runners

If you’re a more elite runner, one or two rest days should be plenty to prevent injury and heal.

To lessen your chance of injury, restrict your overall distance to no more than 40 miles each week.

Cross Training For Recovery

Incorporating one or two days of cross-training into your week might help you keep active on your non-running days if you don’t want to relax completely and engage those muscles you don’t generally target on your runs.

Cross-training can help you balance your muscle groups, and enhance strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance.

Among the best cross-training exercises for runners are:

• Resistance, such as weights, machines, or resistance bands, is used in strength training routines to strengthen muscles.
• Pilates is a kind of exercise that focuses on increasing flexibility and strength. Runners may discover that doing this sort of workout helps them grow a stronger core, which can help them improve their running form.
• Yoga incorporates a lot of stretching and bodyweight resistance work, so it can be an excellent approach to increasing your flexibility and strength.
• Swimming offers your body a break because you’re not putting weight and stress on your feet and joints, but it still provides terrific aerobic and strength exercise.

Cross-train to get off your feet while also improving your aerobic capacity and becoming a better all-around athlete.

Swimming laps and doing aqua-jogging in the water will keep your heart rate up while decreasing impact.

Cycling or yoga are other excellent cross-training activities to give your body a break from running.

Final Thoughts

The overall impact of running everyday is unknown, and there is no one-size-fits-all running routine.

Running everyday may bring health benefits if done correctly.

However, other workouts may provide the same or equivalent advantages.

Anyone with an existing medical problem should visit a healthcare professional before beginning to run or increase their exercise routine.

This is especially critical for people who have heart or respiratory problems or any other illness that increases their risk of injury.

Remember the golden rules of running: don’t overdo it, and take a rest if you get injured.

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