How Can Running Benefit Your Career and Promote Wellbeing?

Apr 19, 2021

Have you ever looked in your window on a cold morning and saw those foolhardy, dedicated runners doing their daily marathons? "What a weirdo," you may have thought after sipping your hot coffee. But running is not just for the reckless athletes who can't live without exercises. To take the stress of their societies, more people turn to healthier choices in their lifestyle. Recently, running has been considered a new trend for busy people - many have turned towards running.

It has become mainstream among modern adults to run a few times a week. Running is among the top most popular exercises people practice, with more than 621 million runners worldwide. Then, is there a reason for you to support this trend and start running?

What are the benefits of running for your career?

It may seem unexpected, yet, running can be a helpful habit to promote your career growth and work performance. According to the Leeds Beckett University study, workday training can improve your mood and boost productivity. And consider running as one of the most efficient exercises when it comes to working performance. Dive in to learn about its benefits for your career but be careful — they will make you want to start running right away!

A women running on the road to boost her energy

Running enhances your brain activity

Isn't it a terrible feeling when your workday just has started, but you already feel sluggish and washed-up? In such cases, your brain works slowly, turning even an easy-peasy task into a real challenge. So what can you do about it? Science suggests you go for a run if you want to boost your brain performance.

University of Calgary research states running can increase your mental performance up to 6% after six months of training. When you run, you help disperse blood through your body and supply your brain with more oxygen, boosting your motor functions and promoting verbal skills. Isn't it an excellent reason to put your sneakers and go jogging for a bit?

Running can level up your energy

And although it might not seem this way at first glance, for people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia, running may be just what they need in order to improve their energy levels. Studies show that exercise can actually negate some of the weariness felt while exercising by boosting adrenaline and norepinephrine levels and ultimately releasing endorphins into the body.

After a person comes back from a run or has just felt the intensity of endorphins, a typical response is usually "I feel so good." This feels like a positive response after accomplishing a task and an increased energy level. Running causes an elevation of mood because it releases dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin and may create new neurons by releasing testosterone.

Running boosts your self-discipline

Believe us — there's no better test for your discipline and endurance than waking up in the morning for a run. If you can do it, day by day, you'll grow strong willpower and will be able to show better results in long-term demanding assignments.

Recent survey results showed that subjects have developed greater self-discipline after one month of regular jogging and become less impulsive in decision-taking. Such skills are indispensable when you want to reach your career highs and not pull up the rear.

People running in the park to boost their brain performance

Running keeps you motivated and goal-oriented

They say "Start small" when it comes to personal growth and healthy habits development. And running is a perfect exercise to train your motivation and become more goal-oriented. Suppose you keep up with regular jogging sessions. In that case, you're able to grow a solid basis to exercise and finish your work tasks with better results.

What's more, setting up your weekly or monthly running goals may become a helpful background for becoming a more goal-oriented professional at work. It will be easier for you to achieve career goals if you succeed in sticking to your running sessions. Then, what stops you from jogging aside from sluggishness?

Running improves focus and mindfulness

Find it hard to concentrate on a particular task and feel lost in a routine? You're not alone - almost 70% of professionals are distracted at the workplace. But running may become your remedy for a wandering mind. Simple moves, measured pace, and fresh air will help you clear your mind and make room for wise decisions and new ideas. You'll find it easier to focus and dedicate all your thoughts to an assignment that needs your attention.

Research also claims running exercise has a similar effect on us as mindfulness meditation. In the process of running, you can feel the present moment, turn off your default mode network (which is so annoying sometimes!), and calm your mind. So this simple exercise can work as a personal therapist, helping you cope with work stress and get away from the hustle and bustle of the world for a while.

A man running in the mountains to prolong his life

Running promotes your memory function

When it's hard to keep all your daily tasks and deadlines in mind, you may forget about an urgent assignment and feel unproductive and useless as a professional at some point. But keep calm — we have a memory-boosting solution for you. Running, like other exercises, increases the blood flow to your brain, which has certain perks for your work performance.

The Millennium Memory Care Center study says improved blood circulation helps your body grow neurons involved in learning and memorizing. Another research has proven that regular running enhances the formation of a cathepsin-B protein responsible for new brain cell production. It increases your memory capacity and lets you keep crucial information and skills for a longer time.

Running increase your time-management skills

It can be a pretty challenging task to find some time for running during your workday. But if you succeed in fitting this exercise into your busy schedule, you'll significantly boost your time-management skills.

After making running your habit, you'll learn how to handle all your assignments in time without sacrificing the quality and your energy. And since time management is one of the most favorable skills among professionals, your career will take off too.

Now it's clear that running matters to your brain performance and career growth. By making it your habit, you can reach new highs, meet your most ambitious goals, and stay on top of your game. But is that all running may offer you?

A man running in the morning to increase his stamina

How can running improve your wellbeing?

Indeed, there's no successful career without a sound health. Though, practicing running can work in your favor here too. And it's more convenient than other exercises since you don't need to visit the gym or purchase any special workout equipment. We've looked through numerous scientific studies and found out that:

Running promotes your cardiovascular health. As for the research, just five-ten minutes of running at low speed can reduce your risks of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Meanwhile, running can also strengthen your heart muscle, lower its workload, and maintain normal pressure.
Running strengthens your immunity. Journal of Sport and Health Science reports jogging has an anti-inflammatory effect, boosts immune regulation and metabolic health. It sounds like a suitable multivitamin replacement, doesn't it?
Running makes you live longer. It allows you to add more years to your lifespan. According to the study, male runners live six years more than non-runners, while females get five more years.
Running reduces your risks of getting cancer. Regular exercises are powerful protection from cancers, scientists say. Thus, running can lower your chances of getting colon, kidney, breast, blood cancers, and seven more cancers up to 38%.
Running may strengthen your bones. Phsyical activity like running can sometimes cause stress on your muscoloskeletal system and in response, your body will lay down more minerals to strengthen the bones. Running stimulates hormones that build more bone cells while inhibiting the production of enzymes that break down bone cells. Stronger bones are more resilient and less likely to fracture.
Running helps you fight depression. When pills and meditations can't handle your depression, running comes to the rescue. During running, you release your endorphins flow, which improves your mood and relieves stress symptoms. In other words, running makes you a happier person!
Running maintains your healthy weight. Are you worried about your waistline? Then you should know that following a diet isn't enough — you should also exercise regularly to maintain a healthy weight. And running is an excellent exercise for this purpose — your body engages many muscles in the running, so this exercise helps you burn twice as many calories as a regular workout.

Why should you be careful when running?

Here we are, praising all benefits of running, and you may also want to order new running shoes and rush off to your nearest park. Still, despite all the perks running offers you, you should be careful with these exercises' regularity and intensity. Remember, enough is as good as a feast.

A man running in the park to boost his brain performance

Since jogging exercise involves most of your muscles (just imagine, 12 muscle groups!), you need some time for them to recover. But if you go hard on your body and run every day, your risks of getting an injury will skyrocket. The most common running traumas are stress fractures and shin splints, which may disturb your daily activities and make it painful for you to walk.

Moreover, you should pay some attention to the distances you choose. If a short-distance run with low speed will benefit your heart health and energy, prolonged and extreme marathons have a reverse effect.

Research shows strenuous exercises for longer than one hour and marathons can damage your heart and cause severe heart disorders. Intense running can also make you sleepy. During extreme exercises, your muscles consume more energy, so you'll be drained afterward.

If you want to get maximum benefits from running, don't underestimate the importance of recovery between your workout sessions. Listen to your body and heartbeat, know your limits, and achieve ultimate results in your chosen field! And with our easy-to-follow practical tips, your running experience will turn into a pleasant and effective habit.

Tips on how to make the most out of your running sessions

Warm-up and stretch before running. It will help you avoid injuries and make it easier for you to start.
Don't overdo it. Scientists say your run's superior longevity is 2,5 hours per week — divide this time by the number of sessions.
Wear workout clothes and running shoes. Comfortable sneakers are half of your success in running, while your clothes should allow airflow and absorb moisture well.
Plan your route. Avoid crowded places and roads — a quiet park or your neighborhood would be a good option.
Set goals and reward yourself. Regularity and sticking to the schedule will help you turn running into a habit. Simultaneously, small rewards like a SPA session or a new t-shirt will support your motivation.
Stay hydrated. Water before and after your running session is a must — it helps your body regulate temperature, produce energy, repair muscles and tissues.
Apply sunscreen before running. Runners spend more time under the UV light, so they have higher risks of sun-induced skin damage — a simple SPF can solve this issue.
Breathe deeply. Your muscles need more oxygen during exercises. Thus, try to inhale with both your nose and mouth.
Don't run right after your meal. Running with a full stomach is like carrying a hard rock, and it impairs your digestion, so let your feed absorb first.
Listen to your body signals. When your muscles burn, your heart beats like a drum, and you're short of breath, give yourself a break to regain some energy.