The health benefits of running are truly endless. Running provides great cardiovascular exercise, can improve your mood, and when done regularly, can even help extend your life, according to Harvard Health Publishing. But you can have some bad running habits that are rapidly aging your body. Read on to make sure you don’t!
According to Dr. Mike Bohl, the Director of Medical Content & Education at Ro and a certified personal trainer, not wearing appropriate running shoes is totally bad for you. He points out, “There are many different kinds of shoes meant for running, and when picking a running shoe, you should think about things like flexibility, support, and comfort.”
Not wearing proper athletic footwear puts you at risk of injury or running with bad posture. Dr. Bohl warns, “You may develop knee, hip, or back pain, irritate your Achilles tendon, irritate the connective tissue on the bottom of your foot (the fascia), or may even sprain your ankle.”
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Another bad habit some runners have is not feeding your body with enough fuel prior to and after you hit the pavement. Dr. Bohl explains, “Running takes a lot of energy, so it’s important that you give yourself energy before a run so you don’t become exhausted. Exhaustion can cause fatigue, can make it take longer to recover, and increases your chance of experiencing an injury. Make sure to have a carbohydrate-rich snack before you run and have another one afterward to replenish energy stores.”
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Next up on this list of bad running habits that are rapidly aging your body is not cooling down correctly after you run. The proper way to cool down is to slow your pace gradually to a walking pace as you near the end of a run. “This will help reset your muscles and get them ready for normal activity again, which can help with recovery,” Dr. Bohl explains.
The absolute best thing a runner can do to stay young? Keep on running! Dr. Bohl adds, “Cardio is one of the best ways to get exercise and stay fit into old age, and it will help maintain mobility and keep the muscles and bones strong.” So lace up those running shoes pronto, and hit the pavement!
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa
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