Running is a great form of exercise for maintaining or improving your health & fitness. There are numerous other benefits for people who adopt a structured running program. If you are seeking to increase the benefits you get from running, our quick tips might be just for you.

Running is a great form of exercise. As stated in our previous article it may aid in maintaining intervertebral disc health. However, the benefits don’t stop there. Participating in a structured running program also assists in increasing or maintaining adequate bone density, strengthens muscles and tendons globally, improves cardiovascular fitness and function, and aids in weight management through burning calories. The purpose of this article is to provide guidelines to begin reaping the physiological rewards of running.

The Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines outlines the amount of physical activity an average adult between the ages of 18-64 should be performing. An average adult should be aiming to “accumulate 150-300 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities, each week.”

Running can be defined as a vigorous activity, provided that the person increases their heart rate to above 70% of their max heart rate. This may be difficult to measure, so a good indicator of whether you are around this mark is if the activity is on the verge of becoming uncomfortable, or conversation requires maximum effort.

Therefore, to meet the Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines, an average adult runner should be aiming to run continuously for at least 30 – 40 minutes 2-3 times a week. The intensity, frequency and time can be progressively increased as your fitness improves. Additionally, cross-training is a healthy and recommended way to bring variety and injury resilience into your training.

[Disclaimer] Before commencing any exercise program please consult with your local GP, particularly if you are over the age of 45 and have pre-existing heart, lung or metabolic conditions.

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