10 benefits from jogging – health, happiness, wealth

A steady pace doesn’t mean you miss out on the physical, mental health, and emotional benefits of running.

Despite jogging being one of the easiest aerobic exercises, it’s one of the most underrated ways to improve all aspects of your life. From mental health to heart health, working muscles to weight loss, jogging is a gift that keeps on giving.

10 health benefits from jogging regularly

1. Increased brainpower
2. Better cardiovascular fitness
3. Improved mood
4. Releases creative juices
5. Feel good endorphins
6. More energy
7. New experiences
8. Anti-depressant qualities
9. Improved memory
10. Immunity against illnesses

#1: Jogging gives you more brainpower

Jogging or brisk walking is a trusted ally in fighting mental fatigue. Researchers found that slow and steady aerobic exercise can boost neuroplasticity and protect against neurodegeneration. The daily benefits of improved cognition will be borne out in how you:

• Think
• Read
• Write
• Reason
• Remember

In short, everything from learning to decision making and communication. The cornerstones of any successful relationship or career.

#2: Jogging helps with better cardiovascular fitness

Jogging, no matter how far or how fast, works wonders for your cardiovascular health.

Research publishes in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggests that any amount of jogging delivers lifelong health benefits.

It found that participants had a 30% lower risk of early death from heart and circulatory conditions and a 27% lower risk of early death from any cause. Low intensity exercise for the win.

Regular jogging also brings more immediate health benefits, including healthy weight loss and reduced body fat (if that’s your goal), better sleep and improved muscular endurance. Alongside jogging, many of us also develop a newfound enthusiasm for eating and drinking more healthily.

#3: Jogging puts you in a better mood

Jogging provides a respite from life’s dramas, acting as a holiday if not a cure.

Putting on your sneakers and opting to immerse yourself in nature takes you to an otherwise unreachable place of happiness. One of the many benefits of jogging I can personally vouch for.

The restorative qualities of jogging sessions also stay with you, long after you’ve physically recovered.

So, get out there and run your best life.

#4: Jogging unlocks your creative potential

Another benefit of jogging is it’ll repay itself with clarity and inspiration.

There’s no better way to move beyond writer’s block or work through a difficult issue.

It’s only when we relieve ourselves from high-pressure situations and allow our minds to wander can we do our best thinking. You’re blessed with countless visual stimulation when immersed in nature.

We’ve all had that epiphany when on a run or in the shower. Our subconscious mind has been searching for that killer idea or solution all along, but it’s only able to enter your conscious mind when there’s sufficient room.

Research shows a 60% boost in creative output when you’re embarking on solo exercise.

#5: Jogging is a path to happiness

One of exercise’s most extraordinary functions is to release endorphins. The brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters otherwise known as a ‘runner’s high’.

When achieved through jogging, this short-lasting, deeply euphoric state is also low impact on the rest of your body. So, whenever you’re feeling a bit lost or down, a 30-minute jog will make all the difference.

The transcendence a good jog brings becomes addictive. It becomes part of you. Your identity. Your being.

#6: Jogging regularly energizes you

The paradox of jogging is the more often you do it, the more energy you have. The will and means to living a healthy life.

Jogging also makes you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of that sleep. Proper rest brings its own benefits:

• Better moods
• More productive
• More present
• More engaged
• Improved stamina
• Facilitates weight loss

#7: Jogging satisfies your sense of adventure

To wake up early and jog is to live two lives. Escaping in nature or exploring your city before others are awake will reveal more than you ever imagined.

I love nothing more than being a home tourist when jogging. Finding new routes. Mixing up your usual jogging routine. Embracing detours. Chasing magical sunrises. Running is not a passive experience and a slow and steady pace allows you to take it all in.

Jogging is also a great way to get to know a new holiday destination. You’ll uncover the best eateries, parks, photo opps and street art. All when they’re at their quietest too.

#8: Aerobic exercise lifts you out of depression

Putting one foot in front of the other and moving forwards is proven to have dramatic anti-depressive effects.

The mental health benefits of jogging start with even low does of physical activity. This could be as little as a 30-minute burst or a 10-day walking streak on a treadmill (Knubben et al., 2007). A jogging partner can provide a further mood boost.

Whether it’s a way to switch off or to feel more connected with what matters most, jogging is often a step closer to feeling better.

#9: Jogging sharpens your memory

You might be jogging on autopilot, but it’s a great source of brainfood.

Regular jogs increase the size of your hippocampus – a brain area which plays a critical role in memory. It also might slow the shrinking of your hippocampus that can lead to memory loss as you get older.

The onset of effects of aerobic exercise on the brain and behavior is rapid and is increasingly being prescribed by medical professionals to prevent, delay, or treat cognitive decline. You won’t need to worry about where you left your keys when running!

#10: Jogging strengthens your immune system

There’s a myth that working out wears you down and makes you more susceptible to getting sick, but that’s not true of moderate exercise.

Moderate exercise—like regularly jogging—actually strengthens your body’s response to illnesses and viral infections, according to research published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology. As important as a healthy diet.

The optimal workout session for immune-boosting benefits is said to be 60 minutes or less. Momentum is important too. Undertaking moderate exercise daily, your immune and metabolic systems grows, building on previous gains before they’re lost.

So, get out and enjoy the many health benefits of jogging!