#Ship30for30 3/30
In December 2021, I felt that I didn't do enough psychical exercises when my body showed signs. So after that, I started to run around 3-4 days a week for 8 to 10 km(5-6 miles), aiming to run 21 km (13 miles) at Istanbul Half Marathon in March 2022.
With Covid-19 and quarantines, we were all locked to our homes, gyms closed, and we lost motivation and momentum to exercise regularly.
We can attain similar benefits of working out at the gym by running and walking. Both activities provide an abundance of physical and mental health benefits.
I'm not suggesting that you quit your gym altogether, but incorporating a walk or run in your daily workout regime is highly recommended and will do you a lot of good in the long run.
Experts suggest that brisk walking for 30 minutes at a moderate speed every day can burn 150 – 200 calories. Additionally, long walks can help clear your thoughts and calm you down.
The benefits of walking and running:
It helps you live longer and better
Running burns calories
Numerous other health benefits
It enables you to live longer
A study published in Archives of Internal Medicine concluded that runners tend to live longer than those who don't perform this form of exercise regularly. The study followed 1,000 adults (aged above 50) for 21 years. At the end of the research, 85% of runners were still alive, while only 65% of non-runners were active.
Another study by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that running or walking for even 5 – 10 minutes a day reduces the risk of death from all causes, including cardiovascular disease.
Running burns calories
All forms of exercise help burn calories. But did you know that an hour-long training workout at the gym can burn approximately 300 calories while an hour-long run can burn double the amount?
Health experts further claim that even walking on the treadmill helps and can increase calorie burnout more than the stationary bike, stair-climber, and rower.
Numerous other health benefits
It's also important to mention that running and walking also help lower blood pressure, decrease the risk of cancer and diabetes, improve memory, and even curb stress eating, otherwise known as binge eating disorder.
In short, running and walking are two of the best ways to make the most of your health and well-being.
Above all, you can run anywhere, anytime, and that too without investing in any equipment.