Interesting Facts and Myths About Running

We are all aware of how beneficial running can be, like improving physical strength, keeping us in shape, burning calorie and so on. However, in the world of running, there are more than just mere advantages that it can bring. Below are some myths and facts that you may or not have heard before!

Facts

Running can be daring and messy. Besides the conventional marathon, there are also mud runs and obstacle runs which are quite interesting. In 2014 alone, there were around 4 million finishers in those non-traditional races. People often find them more challenging than just bare racing for the finishing lines.

You can run “literally” around the Earth. It is true. If you run consecutively for nearly 5 years (5.7 to be exact), you may cover a distance of 24900 miles. The earth circumference is measured at 24901 miles. Close enough, isn’t it?

If you want to burn more calorie, you need to run faster, or longer. Take an 8-minute mile run for example. If a 220lb person runs that distance, he may burn around 150 calories. If it is a 120b person, he might burn just around 82 calories. This means the fitter you are, the less calorie you burn under the same distance.

Myths – of course, debunked!

Sport drinks for hydration. Although sports drinks do contain calories and electrolytes which are helpful during a run, it can be most beneficial for an over-an-hour run. If you are running for less than an hour, water is the best choice.

Stretches before the run. Running is a sport. Therefore, proper warm-ups are recommended. However, holding a stretching position for a period of time – or generally known as static stretching – is not to what proper warm-up is. Before running, it is the best that you do dynamic movements like lunges, leg swings, butt kicks, etc. Basically, warming up before a run means carrying out some leg involving exercises.

Daily run. In fact, daily running can lead to overtraining, burnout or even injury, especially for beginners. Exercising takes time for muscle recovery. If you hope your run to pay off, incorporate cross-training. Running does not just involve repeated leg motions; your muscle and stamina need to improve to fit a certain increasing mileage. Take the gym, swimming, biking, doing cardio training and so on. Good running involves a combination of exercises, not just running alone.

Running can be quite fun when you get to know it. If you need some entertaining attributes on running, there are hundreds out there on the so-called virtual library, the Internet. In the meantime, hope these aforementioned can keep your informed on how you should run!

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.