Everyone knows that exercise helps improve your health, but perhaps you are wondering what specific benefits running provides. Rajan Bhatt, MD, discusses three health issues that can be improved by running.
Running will lower the LDL levels (bad cholesterol) and raise the HDL levels (good cholesterol) in your blood. It will also improve your heart function. Researchers at the University of British Columbia discovered that increasing the number of calories burned by 1000 per week, which is equivalent to running ten miles in a week, decreases your risk of premature death by 20 percent.
Diabetes can be managed by running. Researchers have found that adding about five miles of running per week will decrease the occurrence of Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes happens when your body produces insulin but does not properly use the available insulin.
Another disease helped by running is osteoporosis. Athletes who participate in high-impact sports, such as running, have a higher bone density than athletes who only participate in low-impact sports, like bicycling or using an elliptical machine. Women who already have osteoporosis can decrease the severity of their disease by running.
Dr. Rajan Bhatt is a cardiologist and an avid runner. Dr. Bhatt is licensed to practice in Arizona and Florida.
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