You’ve most likely heard veterans of running go on and on about how running has helped them drop pant sizes, reduce stress and even decrease their chances of getting sick.

But even though most of us know how good running is for us, we still find ourselves hesitant to strap the old running shoes on and hit the dusty trail.

A lot of this is because many people think that just because they didn’t do track in high school, or they weren’t a D1 athlete, than they weren’t meant to run.

However, we’ve put together some reasons why you’ll probably want to start running; whether it’s for the way you look or for how you’ll feel.

It Burns the Most Calories

A study conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin, as well as the VA Medical Center, found that the treadmill, when used at the “hard” exertion level, burned more calories per hour than every other cardio machine at most gyms.

This means that the time you spend on the treadmill or in your running shoes can have the most profound impact on the amount of calories burned each day, as well as how much lean muscle mass you’re building.

But running benefits don’t just stop at your calories; the fact that running is so strenuous also keeps your heart in good health too. Each stride you take squeezes blood back toward your heart which forces your heart to beat more to send it right back, making your heart stronger and healthier.

You’ll Keep the Weight Off

One of the hardest things about crash dieting is that by depriving yourself of enough calories per day you do lose weight initially, but then you gain it back as soon as you stop a diet that only lets you eat food that starts with the letter “p.”

However, with running, you will continue to lose weight because intense exercise will raise your metabolism levels for good.

Another way to raise your metabolism is by taking
safe diet pills. There have been many naturally-derived ingredients that have been found to increase the rate at which your body burns calories.

Apidextra, for one, has been found to raise your basal metabolic rate, helping you shed calories without changing the way you eat or activity level. This can be a very good option for those who have existing medical conditions that can prevent them from working out heavily.

Reduce Your Stress

Not only is it mentally taxing to stress about gaining weight, but stressing can actually cause you to gain weight. To protect itself, the body starts storing as much energy as it can as fat. This means that when your body is stressed, it will want to protect itself by increasing your waistline.

Although this might seem like a vicious way to protect yourself, the good news is that running to lower your stress can help you get rid of that excess fat. The University of Georgia Department of Exercise conducted a study where patients with anxiety either relaxed for an hour or exercised for an hour and then were tested on their physiological response.

The results showed that those who exercised for the hour saw that they had three times fewer symptoms of anxiety. This is why so many doctors recommend running for those with depression and other psychological disorders.

Conclusion

So if you’ve found yourself putting off running, then you’re only depriving yourself of many health benefits. We recommend you start burning more calories, raising your metabolism and reducing your stress levels today!