64 Reasons to StayRunning
Oftentimes, with a sport as hard as running, there can be a million reasons not to run and only one reason for running in your head. But you only need one good reason, one strong reason that pushes you and drives you to run to get you on the right track from the couch to running outside. Here are 64 strong reasons to run, so we can get you to start running and to Stayrunning:
#1. Run to get fit: Fitness isn't just a state of being, it's a lifestyle.
#2. Run to burn calories: Running is one of the best ways to burn calories fast, and you can expect to burn anywhere between 10.6 to 16 calories per minute on your run.
#3. Run to meet people: Running is the perfect opportunity to meet new people because running is always better in a group, and you'll find that the people you meet are some of the most supportive and understanding.
#4. Run to stay healthy: An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but so does running. Running helps you maintain a strong and healthy heart, which is key to living a longer and more productive life.
#5. Run to get faster: I feel the need…the need for speed.
#6. Run to become more disciplined: Committing yourself to run on a consistent basis will help you become more disciplined and it will help you develop a strong work ethic.
#7. Run to be able to eat more: Couldn't eat that last slice of pizza because you were on a diet? With running, you're burning so many calories that you can afford to eat as much as you want.
#8. Run to be happy: With running, you can get a natural surge of dopamine and serotonin, and you'll feel happier throughout the day.
#9. Run to become a better athlete: What do the major sports of baseball, football, soccer, and basketball all have in common? They require a lot of running among their players. Running is a skill that can translate to a lot of sports, and running consistently can make you a better overall athlete.
#10. Run to explore new places: One of the best ways to explore a new city is to scout it out on foot, and what better way to do it than through running?
#11. Run to explore your own "territory": Sometimes you can go years without knowing a certain part of your neighborhood or city exists and it can be exciting to uncover a new place on your run.
#12. Run for a cause: One of the best and most heart-warming reasons to run is to run for a specific cause, whether it be for cancer research or for a charity. You’re not just running for yourself, you’re running to have a positive impact and to fight on behalf of those who can't afford to run.
#13. Run to improve core strength: Run helps you get killer abs and complement ab routines well, as maintaining good form during a run can engage your abdominal muscles.
#14. Run to improve flexibility: As a runner, you'll stretch constantly to loosen tight muscles and even if you are a naturally tight person, you'll become a more flexible person by habit.
#15. Run to improve leg strength: They say "Never skip leg day" and with running being a primarily leg-driven sport, you'll never have to worry about skipping leg day again.
#16. Run to sleep better: Running has been scientifically proven to increase sleep quality and by getting in a run during the day, you can make sure that you are sleeping like a log at night.
#17. Run to reduce your carbon footprint: It might not seem like you are doing much in the short term, but replacing one car ride a day with a run can significantly decrease your carbon footprint in the long run. It's important that we keep our planet healthy, so that we can continue to run and enjoy running.
#18. Run to unplug: Right now, with many people stuck at home and school/work being moved to online platforms, it has become easier for people to become addicted to their screens. Too much screen time can lead to headaches, and running is a good way to unplug and ignore all those notifications.
#19. Run to make your "New Years Resolutions" last more than a week: We all know it, and most of us are guilty of it. We'll create a "New Years Resolution" for exercise, and it won't even end up lasting a week. This is where running comes in. It might be hard to start running, but once you start running on a consistent basis, you'll be hooked and you'll smash through your "New Years Resolutions."
#20. Run for the camaraderie: It's hard to explain, but there's a certain feeling of understanding when you pass by a fellow runner, knowing that that person is grinding too and working hard. Such is the amount of respect between fellow runners.
#21. Run to let off steam: Maybe someone cut you off aggressively on the freeway. Maybe you just had a bad day at work. Anyhow, you can let it all go and channel that anger into positive energy by going for a run and pounding it out on the pavement.
#22. Run to meditate and think: Running is the perfect time to meditate and collect your thoughts because most likely you're all alone, listening to the pounding of your heart.
#23. Run to jam out: There's no better feeling than to jam out to your music and just let it rip on your runs.
#24. Run to take out the dog: If you can take out the dog and get your daily run in at the same time, that's like killing two birds with one stone.
#25. Run to not feel guilty for not running: You know that feeling, when you’re sitting on the couch and you’re feeling guilty because you didn't get your run in for the day? You can eliminate it by going for a run.
#26. Run to enjoy the weather: It seems criminal not to go out and run when its 60 degrees out and sunny, on a very nice day. You get your daily dose of Vitamin D AND you feel good doing so.
#27. Run for the simplicity: Running is one of the easiest sports to understand and get into, because all you really need is a pair of shoes and the desire to run.
#28. Run for the versatility: Running is probably one of the most versatile sports, considering that you can train from anywhere, at practically any time.
#29. Run to get through Mondays: We all hate the Monday grind, but getting in a run after work or after school on Mondays can be one thing to look forward to.
#30. Run to set and meet goals: Running is one of the best ways to teach yourself to set goals and meet them, because every day that you are running, you are striving to get better and working towards the long-term goal of reaching your full potential.
#31. Run for the obligatory social media post: We all hate to admit it, but one of the motivations for going out to run is to post it on social media, to let everyone in our circle know that we are better than them because we actually exercised.
#32. Run to wear short shorts: You'll look like a boss AND you can show off your extra short, short shorts swag.
#33. Run to break the monotony: Wake up, go to work, come home, go to sleep. Rinse and repeat. It's very easy for your daily schedule to just become an endless grind of the same things being repeated over and over again, but you can break that monotony by going on a run. No two runs are going to be the same, and every run will be a new adventure.
#34. Run to get over the hump: Whether it be a mental roadblock or a big hill in your neighborhood, running will teach you to become resilient enough to take on these challenges head-on and overcome them.
#35. Run to become a morning person: Maybe the reason you aren't a morning person is because you haven't tried adding a morning run to your schedule. A morning run can be a total game changer because it refreshes your mind and it'll leave you with more energy throughout the day.
#36. Run for post-holiday fat-burning: Whether it be Thanksgiving or Christmas, there is always that time of year when you need to shed that holiday eating chub. What better way to shed off those extra pounds than running, an activity that burns a lot of calories?
#37. Run for the conversations: Some of the deepest and most vulnerable conversations that you'll have will be on a run, because chances are, if you trusted your running buddy to not leave you behind at the stoplight, you'll trust them to listen to you about your life problems and your anxieties.
#38. Run to de-stress: With all that is happening in the world right now, and all that is happening in your personal life, it can be easy for you to become overwhelmed with stress. One really effective way to combat this stress overload is running; running can help take your mind off what is stressing you and allow to get a breath of fresh air.
#39. Run to enjoy nature: As you run through wooded pathways and hiking trails, you'll find that nature is blossoming all around you and you'll gain a greater appreciation for the wildlife around you.
#40. Run to become more resilient: When people start off running, their mindset is: "When can I stop?, How can I make this stop?" But, as they begin to run more consistently, they learn to push through the urge to stop, and through running, they learn to become more resilient people.
#41. Run to become a more confident person: Running can help you take control of your mental and physical health, which have a strong correlation with confidence, and you'll feel better just by looking at a fitter version of yourself in the mirror.
#42. Run to test your limits as a human being: Each day, a new runner is pushing the boundaries of what a human body can physically do, and even if you aren't setting world records on your morning run, you are pushing yourself to become the best human version of yourself.
#43. Run to feel free: Humans, we were born to run because we were never meant to be caged or pinned down. Running is our chance to burst free from all constraints.
#44. Run for the races: There's nothing like the feeling of sprinting down towards the finish line of a running race with hundreds of people cheering you on, and running for the purpose of training for a race is a great way to get into the sport.
#45. Run to feel superior: As you zoom past the people sitting at the bus stop and the people walking on the sidewalk, you can think about how as a runner, you are so much faster than all of these people.
#46. Run to have healthier bones: It seems counter-intuitive right? The fact that an impact-heavy sport like running can strengthen your bones instead of weakening them. But the thing is, every time you run and push off the ground, the muscles in your leg contract, which makes your bones stronger.
#47. Run to have better skin: Running helps reduce the production of the hormone cortisol, which contributes to chronic skin conditions. Also, as an added bonus, sweating it out during a run can make you have a natural glow to you after the run.
#48. Run to fend off cancer: Running is an easy way to reduce the risk of getting cancer, as it has been shown to reduce the risk of multiple types of cancer, such as lung cancer.
#49. Run to get smarter: This might be surprising, but running has been shown to increase cognitive function, including improving memorization skills and multitasking ability. They say "work smart, not harder", but why not do both with running.
#50. Run to live longer: It's not hard to imagine that with all the health benefits that running brings runners live longer, and it has actually been scientifically proven that on average, runners will live longer lives than non-runners.
#51. Run to join a running club: Running to join a running club is a great way to get into the sport, as you'll find people to run with and become friends with as running buddies.
#52. Run for healthier knees: Running actually decreases your risk of developing knee arthritis, and once again, your future self will thank you for the lack of arthritis in old age.
#53. Run to improve your immune system: Running can improve your immune system by pushing out harmful bacteria and decreasing stress hormones, which weaken immune function.
#54. Run to lower your risk of diabetes: Scientific research has shown that running, and exercise in general, can significantly reduce the risk for diabetes.
#55. Run to strengthen your joints: Running can help strengthen your joints by engaging the muscles around them and your future self will surely appreciate the lack of arthritic joints.
#56. Run to lower your blood pressure: If you're worried about your blood pressure being too high, don't worry: just get your blood pumping and go on a run.
#57. Run for the shoes: Running might be the perfect opportunity to show off your new kicks.
#58. Run for the Fitbit: Having a Fitbit (or any compatible fitness watch) can make running a more engaging experience, and you'll soon find that you've become a slave to your fitness watch.
#59. Run for the community: The running community is a very supportive and diverse community that is comprised of hard working and compassionate people, which means that by becoming a runner, you are joining a community that shares your interests and will embrace you with open arms.
#60. Run to escape reality: Sometimes you need a break from your hectic schedule and running is the perfect way to zone out; you can pretend to be Usain Bolt as you sprint
#61. Run just for the sake of running: If for no other reason, you should just run for the sake of running. You'll get to experience first-hand the joy of partaking in a sport and activity that many millions of people around the world have a passion for.
#62. Run for yourself: Lastly, run because every time that you run, you are making an investment in yourself. And remember, run once to change your day, Stayrunning to change your life.
Sources:
“Physical Exercise Reduces Risk of Developing Diabetes, Study Shows.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 20 Feb. 2018, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180220102420.htm#:~:text=Researchers%20have%20found%20that%20higher,diabetes%20in%20high%2Drisk%20individuals.
Shortsleeve, Cassie. “This Is What Happens to Your Skin on a Run.” Allure, Allure, 26 May 2017, www.allure.com/story/what-happens-skin-on-a-run#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20working%20out%20keeps,and%20acne%2C%20Kanchanapoomi%20Levin%20says.