Run for your life - Karen Hourtovenko

It is great to see more and more Sudburians running. I started running 15 years ago when I decided I didn’t have time to walk an hour every day.

I started picking up the speed, and before I knew it I was running the same five kilometres in 30 minutes. That was when there were only a couple of groups of four running the streets of Sudbury.

Now there are many groups and individuals running every day. It’s nice seeing people taking interest in their health and disease prevention.

For many, running is crazy and only for health nuts. Well research is proving that running is beneficial and should be a part of our lives.

The Copenhagen City Health Study, which included 20,000 people over 35 years, showed that runners live up to six years longer (men 6.2 yrs and women 5.6 yrs) than a non-runner.

The study also showed a 44-per-cent overall reduction of death. Many might think that these results would only be for the elite runners.

Well luckily, those who ran slowly to an average pace, and only two to three times per week, also benefited. Benefits were seen to maximize out at 2.5 hrs in total per week.

The issues of joints disease also come into discussion for many. Well there is research to answer this question as well.

A study at Stanford University found that regular high-impact exercise, such as running, may prepare the body for daily joint shocks that present with activities such as going down the stairs or walking the dog.

The study showed that regular runners had less musculoskeletal pain (25 per cent) than non-runners. North Carolina State researchers also noted that slow or moderate running may cause less muscle fatigue than with walking.

Calf muscles move more efficiently when running than walking quickly.

There are numerous health benefits to both walking and running.

These benefits include improved emotions/mood, weight reduction, improved sleep, overall increased energy, blood pressure lowering, reduction in LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase in HDL (good cholesterol), risk reduction for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke, improvement in immune functioning and increased bone density.

Running also supports collagen production, keeping skin clearer and increasing muscle blood flow.

Brain function is also improved because of increased blood flow to areas supporting memory and learning.

Slow metabolic rates seem to be as much as a pandemic as disease. Guess what? Running increases metabolic rates, and when increased, it assists in burning off unwanted stored fat.

Our bodies were created to function efficiently like a well-maintained vehicle. Sadly, many take care of their vehicle better than their body.

Exercise it no different than running the motor in your car. If you leave the car in the garage and never run it, parts will cease and it will not perform the way it should. Our bodies are the same.

If we sit around and become a “coach potato,” along with haphazardly eating whatever we want instead of healthy choices, our body responds with disease, weight gain, and short life expectancy.

We have only one body and only one life. We can’t go back and do it all over again. However, choices you are making today can either negatively or positively affect your health — make a choice today to take care of yourself.

Start walking and then running. You will be surprised that with practice time and a plan, your health will turn around.

Karen Hourtovenko RN(EC), is a health and wellness consultant from Sudbury who writes columns about healthy living for Northern Life.

Posted by Vivian Scinto