Run Forrest Run!

There are people, me included, that have a passion for running.  There are others who do it because it's good for you but they don't know why.  There are others who hate it and say they wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near a treadmill.

So here's the deal.  We all know that exercise is really really important for good health, and finding what you enjoy most is essential, because if you like it you might just stick to it.

I love running.  That's me.  You won't find me in a gym but you will find me and the dog running around the countryside on many a cold frosty morning in the middle of winter.  If it rains?  I have a treadmill at home, the dog is jealous.

However, there are surprising medical benefits to running that I didn't have a clue about, until this week when I read two articles on the subject.

Professor William Farquhar, Delaware University says that running or brisk walking has a lot to do with blood pressure.  He is a physiologist who has studied exercise and health for over 20 years and says that exercise lowers blood pressure spectacularly.

According to the Professor, blood pressure drops immediately after an exercise session.  This is called post exercise hypotension and it has been shown to drop between 5 to 7 mmHg after every exercise session.

During a workout, blood pressure rises dramatically as our muscles need oxygen-rich blood.  The brain signals the heart to increase blood flow and the pressure rises.  During a run, systolic blood pressure can exceed 180 mmHg.  This would be particularly worrying if this reading was taking during rest, but it is quite normal during hard exercise.

But immediately after strenuous exercise, blood pressure drops drastically.  It is unclear as to why this happens, but dilation of the blood vessels is involved.

Why is this good?  Well, as I wrote in a previous article The Silent Killer, hypertension shows almost

no signs of happening.  Estimates suggest that one billion people worldwide suffer from hypertension and we also know that it is a contributing cause of death in over 400,000 Americans yearly.

This isn't just an old person's disease, another estimate suggests that 19% of young adults have hypertension.

So, the good news is that an easy way to control your blood pressure is to exercise every day.  You don't need to join and expensive gym, or get a personal trainer, and you certainly don't need to spend hours everyday exercising.  Just 30 minutes of running or brisk walking is enough to reap the blood pressure benefits.

But here's something else you might like to know about running...

Researchers from the University of Arizona have discovered that going for a run first thing in the morning makes you more alert for the rest of the day.  Running activates the part of the brain responsible for decision-making and planning.

The researchers studied 11 competitive, male runners between the ages of 18 and 25 and another 11 men who said they had not exercised in the past year.  Why men?  Well apparently women are harder to study due to the effects of the menstrual cycle on their brains and bodies.  Who knew?

Their physical activity levels and aerobic fitness was calculated through questionnaires and mathematical formulas and they each volunteered to a MRI scan to measure the levels of brain activity.

The outcomes were that the runners' brains showed increased connectivity in areas of the brain needed for higher-level of thought.  However the brains in the inactive men didn't show the same levels.

There was also less brain activity in the part of the runners' brains that indicates lack of focus and mind wandering.

Professor Gene Alexander, co-lead on the study, said;

"To me, this suggests that running may not be such a simple activity after all.  It requires complex navigational skills plus an ability to plan, monitor and respond to the environment, juggle memories of past runs, and also continue with all of the motor activities of running, which are very complicated."

To me, these are two pretty good reasons to keep on running, even if there are days when I have to really convince myself to get up and go.  But then, as Nike says... "Just do it."

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com