Running: Is It Healthy?

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Human beings have been running since the beginning of mankind. Then, humans ran for survival. Men and women were forced to run in order to catch their food and to move from place-to-place.. But running has since then evolved into something more than survival. Whether it’s to stay physically fit or for the enjoyment, humans have made running into a common activity. Personally, running is a hobby of mine. I run on a daily basis for both the exercise and the euphoria. However, running has become not only a form of exercise for a multitude of people, but it’s also a popular worldwide sport. In 776 B.C.E., the first recorded Olympic Game was held in Greece (Rosenberg). The first event in this game was a footrace of approximately two-hundred and ten yards. Running is still an event in todays Olympic Games, but it’s also a common sport, known as Track and Field, in schools, colleges, and on the professional level. Even if someone is involved with other sports during their lifetime, the likelihood of running is still high, as it’s a major part of most sports. Since running is such a common activity, we often overlook the effects it may have on our body. Is running a physically healthy activity?

An efficient runner is physically fit, but not in the sense of a weightlifter. Runners lack the upper body strength of bodybuilders, but have the lower body strength to run miles on end. Perhaps the most common reason that people run is that they believe it’s an effective weight loss tool. In fact, running has been proven to have effective results on weight management. In a study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, researchers conducted a large survey between thirty-thousand runners and fifteen-thousand walke...

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...eynolds, Gretchen. "Is Marathon Running Bad for the Heart?" Well. New York Times, 23 May 2012. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. .

Reynolds, Gretchen. "Is It Better to Walk or Run?" Well. New York Times, 29 May 2013. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. .

McGrath, Tom. "The Severe Health Risks of Marathon Running." Men's Health. N.p., 14 Oct. 2008. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. .

Rosenberg, Jennifer. "History of the Olympics." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. .

"Running History Story." Just Run. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. .

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