What Does Running Do to Your Body? (by a Medical Doctor)

Running is the most popular and effective method of aerobic training. People run for fitness, race performance, weight loss and for fun. You can start running slowly and increase intensity and go for longer distances with time.
“Running about 6 miles a week may add up to 3 to 6 years to your life”.
This important finding is from a study done by the Mayo Clinic which shows that regular running can increase your life span.
You can read more about what running does to a woman’s body here – and you can find our recommendation for best running shoes for women here.
The weight of your body is determined by the energy you consume and the energy you burn.
Running causes energy expenditure. If you have a balanced diet, you can use running to create a calorie deficit which in turn will promote weight loss.
If you practice poor dietary habits, however much you run will not help you to lose weight or achieve a slim body.
Aerobic exercises like running will control your appetite thus helping you to maintain a regular balanced diet.
Here is our complete guide about running and weight loss.
Your physical appearance mainly depends on the composition of your body. Body composition means how much your body consists of bone, lean muscle, organs, and water. Your genes and your diet play a major role here.
Regular running increases your lean muscle mass and decreases your subcutaneous fat which is a key benefit.
For you to be healthy you have to have a healthy amount of fat in your body. As fat gives you energy and balances your hormone levels fat has become an important component. Therefore, our muscle/fat ratio should be balanced.
Running helps with that balance. By running regularly your muscle mass increases while reducing the subcutaneous fat. This will give you a healthy physical appearance.
As regular running promotes weight loss, you will look slim and lean.
Frequent regular running gives you many benefits including shaping up your body. As your calves and thighs become toned, when your belly become flattened, you may notice that your body is gradually getting that shape you always wanted. Make sure you do dynamic stretching before you run to enhance these effects.
The muscles used to power you through your run are quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and your glutes. Running gets all these muscle groups into action which will definitely give you a toned, fit and a shapely body.
Calf muscles are constantly in motion while you run. Running works well on toning your calves and shins.
Front of your thighs are formed by quadriceps and back of the thigh by hamstrings. Both these muscle groups get constant exercise when you run. This promotes burning of excess fat and increasing lean muscle mass in your thighs, giving you a toned, shapely look.
Running causes fat burning in your entire body, but you cannot spot reduce the fat in your arms. If you run regularly your arms will also get slimmer with time along with your body. You can swing your arms while running, which will burn more fat and toning of your arms and shoulders. If you combine running with weight training it can help you to achieve more toned arms and shoulders.
Regular running helps to reduce fat from your entire body, provided there is a calorie deficit. Belly fat reduction is the most difficult and last to lose.
If you are overweight or obese, visit a dietician and formulate a proper diet plan. Make sure you stick to the diet plan to maintain that calorie deficit. You can combine exercises to work out your abdominal muscles along with running to obtain a toned belly.
Yes. When you run regularly your belly fat will burn gradually making your stomach more flattened and toned. You can enhance that effect by exercising your abs regularly.
Running per se will not give you abs or six packs. But constant running can definitely reduce your belly fat and make your abs more prominent. However, core-specific exercises are the key to stronger abs, which can help you to be a better runner too.
Yes, regular running tones your body.
Running increases your lean muscle mass up to a certain point. Increased frequency of running will not increase your lean muscle beyond this point. Therefore, running should be combined with weight training to achieve the desirable level of muscle/ fat ratio which helps to gain the toned body you always wanted.
Runner’s face is the theory that repeated pulling and bouncing of the face while running can lead to a gaunt or thin facial appearance. That doesn’t mean that the skin on your face sag from bouncing.
Runner’s face which is more skeletal or bony happens when you burn subcutaneous fat on your face with regular running. It can occur in both men and women. While some will love that look, some of you may not as it feels that you look older.
Running does not age your skin; in fact it will make your skin look healthier as blood circulation to face improves. However, running can cause aging of your skin if you are frequently exposed to sun, as UV rays damages your skin, aging it faster. Therefore, always use good UV protection before you run outdoors. Use a sun screen with SPF 30 – 50 depending on your climate.
It is possible to obtain injuries if you do not maintain a proper running technique. Not wearing proper running shoes can sprain your ankles and injure your ligaments.
If you are a person who exercises regularly, you should be able to run nonstop for about 30 minutes without any breaks.
An average person (a non- competitive, relatively in shape runner) can usually complete 1 mile in about 10 minutes. If you are new to running, you might take 12 -15 minutes to run a mile. Marathon runners average a mile in 4-5 minutes.
Breathing is the process of taking oxygen to fuel your running. You should not feel breathless while running.
The best way to breathe when running is to inhale and exhale using both your nose and mouth. Breathing through both your nose and mouth will keep your breathing steady while engaging your diaphragm for maximum oxygen intake.
Your breathing should be diaphragmatic which means your inhaling and exhaling should be deep enough to extend up to your stomach. Deep mouth breathing while running brings in more oxygen.
However, do not breathe forcefully through your nostrils as it can tighten your facial and jaw muscles which is not good when running. On the other hand, mouth breathing relaxes your jaw muscles.
If you feel breathless while running, it means you do not get adequate oxygen to fuel your workout. Then it is time to change the way you breathe.
Your ability to breathe (ventilatory capacity) will improve as you work out your respiratory muscles. Your body will be able to use oxygen efficiently to burn fat and glucose.
During running the energy is supplied by breaking down of glycogen stored in your muscles. Gradually the glycogen levels will be depleted which needs replenishing later.
Your heart will become stronger and your blood circulation will improve.
With time, the number and size of mitochondria (power houses of your cells) increase, improving your muscle endurance. This will be supported by improved circulation to your muscles, as capillaries which deliver blood to your muscles also enlarge and grow.
After a long run, you should hydrate yourself as soon as possible. Stretch major muscle groups, especially if they feel sore or tight. Using ice packs helps to soothe the sore muscles. You can consume a small nutritious meal afterwards.
Runner’s body is not only becoming skinny by losing fat. Gaining muscle mass in addition to that lean look along with a strong body is what most runners dream of. The ultimate goal is to achieve that runner’s body and improve performance.
Here are a few tips…..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/jappl.1964.19.2.249
https://www.theactivetimes.com/run-race/road/how-running-changes-your-body
https://blog.mapmyrun.com/get-lean-tips-for-runners/
https://www.healthline.com/health/runners-face
https://www.mankatomarathon.com/running-tips-from-mayo-clinic-health-system/
https://www.quora.com/How-long-will-it-take-me-to-see-the-results-of-running-every-day