Many people have the same question as me: Why run when you can walk? There are plenty of answers to this, and I will share some of them with you all. Major health benefits like stress reduction, muscular strength, good and quality sleep, glowing skin, keeping the heart rate low, etc, are the reasons that many health specialists suggest, but for me again, a few more questions arise: why do so many people love running so much that they keep running for hours, which we call ‘Marathon’? Why do some run daily? That’s because our bodies release a hormone called ‘endorphins’, which is the main cause of all of this.
I will answer both questions: why run when you can walk and the benefits or impact of endorphins.
Why Run When You Can Walk ?
1. Stress Reduction: Running releases the hormone endorphins, which helps in reducing stress. By lowering stress, which allows individuals to clear their minds, it promotes a sense of calm and relaxation.
2. Peaceful Living: Running allows an individual to enjoy their surroundings, appreciate them, and think positively while noticing them, which will foster a deeper connection with the environment.
3. Connecting with Nature: Running, especially in forests or surrounded by trees, with a lower carbon footprint, will increase health and mental health millions of times better than running on a road full of traffic. That’s just because of the presence of more oxygen in forests, the reason is simple: trees exhale oxygen while animals and humans exhale CO2, which is carbon dioxide.
4. Physical Well-Being: Walking is a more sustainable and low-impact exercise alternative than jogging, which can be an intense workout. It enhances the cardiovascular system, supports joint health, and is doable by those with different degrees of fitness.
5. Well-being Above Achievement: The focus placed on walking seems to indicate that general well-being should take precedence over tenacious achievement. It encourages people to enjoy the journey rather than be obsessed with arriving at a particular point.
6. Patience and Balance: Walking is a metaphor for both of these qualities. It serves as a reminder that certain events are best enjoyed slowly and that not everything in life needs to be rushed.
7. Helping Sustainable Lifestyle: Walking is an environmentally responsible form of transportation. When possible, opting to walk rather than drive reduces carbon emissions and encourages a smaller ecological imprint, both of which are factors in a more sustainable lifestyle.
8. Creativity and Reflection: Walking’s leisurely pace permits the mind to wander, which promotes both of these qualities. It offers the brain room for thoughts to solidify and ideas to flow, which improves decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Benefits of Endorphins
Endorphins are released by the hypothalamus in the brain and pituitary gland. Some benefits of endorphins include:
1. Reduction in Pain: Endorphins act as a natural pain that helps the body reduce the perception of pain, which is particularly beneficial for managing chronic pain conditions.
2. Lower Stress and Relief Anxiety: Again, endorphins have a natural stress-relieving effect that helps reduce feelings of anxiety and tension, boosting a sense of calm, mental positivity, and well-being.
3. Improving Mood: Endorphins are more commonly referred to as “feel-good” chemicals as they greatly contribute to increasing mood. Their release lowers the negativity of the mood and greatly affects the face of any person who runs regularly.
4. Quality Sleep: With the release of this hormone, which lowers stress and directly improves the quality of sleep, A regular runner will develop healthy sleep patterns and promote a more restful night’s sleep.
5. Natural Anti-Depressant: A sense of happiness and well-being is associated directly with endorphin release, which plays a role in regulating mood. Individuals dealing with mild to moderate depressive symptoms will benefit, especially from this natural antidepressant effect.