4 Ways Running can Help Prevent Cardio Diseases

Cardio Diseases – Running is one of the best ways of conditioning the body’s cardiovascular system. Experts have classified it as an aerobic practice that utilizes carbohydrates and fatty acids for energy. Runners normally have high oxygen consumption and a slow pulse rate. Further studies have shown that long distance runners have thicker and larger left ventricles than sedentary controls. Compared to a sedentary person, a runner’s are capable of pumping a large volume of blood per beat. Running has many health benefits; most of these include reducing the risk of heart attacks, easy breathing, improved lung capacity, and a low risk of cancer.

Running Reduces the Risk of Heart Attacks

Heart attacks are more common in people with sedentary lives than those who engage in runs often. Running lowers the risk of heart attack in both middle aged and the elderly. According to a study by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, running slashes the risk of cardiovascular induced death by 45 percent. The U.S. based research team studied the running habits and the health of over 55,000 over a period of 15 years. Runners had a 30% drop in mortality risks and lived three years longer compared to non-runners. These health benefits did not change depending on how fast, how far, or how often one run. This is good news for those who think that there is a minimum amount of time one should run to improve heart health. The effect of running on one’s sensitivity to blood sugar and blood pressure are the main reasons why it significantly reduces the risk of heart attacks.

Running Improves Breathing

When asthmatics engage in running along with other aerobic exercises, their shortness of breath and wheezing reduces significantly. According to a study by the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, asthmatics who engage in half an hour of aerobic practices such as running several times a week reported an improvement in their breathing. For asthmatics who have their condition under control, running improves their breathing muscles and lung health.

Running Boosts Lung Function

Researchers have long associated running with improved lung function. When a person is running, the lungs and heart work together. The lungs are responsible for supplying oxygen to a person’s body to help in energy and cell growth. When the body processes oxygen, the by-product is carbon dioxide that exits the body whenever the lungs exhale. Oxygen is delivered to the muscles by the heart. Since the body muscles work harder when one is running, the body uses more oxygen and produces more carbon dioxide. This increases a person’s breathing rate by 40-60 breaths in a minute. Repetitive running increase the oxygen demands of one’s muscles and as a result the oxygen capacity of their lungs. This process strengthens the lungs muscles and significantly improves lung function and wards of diseases associated with the lungs such as lung cancer.

Running Lowers the Risk of Cancer

Running like aerobic exercises has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer. Based on a study conducted by the Public Health Sciences Division, aerobic exercises such as running can reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and colon polyps in men. The researchers identified a significant reduction in the levels of cellular proliferation around certain parts of the colon that are more susceptible to colon cancer. Specifically, the tiny indentations along the colon’s lining-the colonic crypts- responsible for regulation the absorption of nutrients and water showed reduced cellular proliferation. This study tends to support other studies that associated aerobic activities such as running with a reduction of the risk of cancer.

Running is a simple aerobic exercise with immense health benefits. The cardiovascular system is one of the biggest beneficiaries of running activities. Several studies have linked running with a low risk of heart attacks, improved breathing, healthy lungs, and reduced susceptibility to cancer.