Tom's Blog

Running is a fantastic cardiovascular exercise if you are looking to tone up, get fit and strengthen your legs. If you are thinking about joining a gym or a running club, then you might be interested in reading all about the advantages of running.

If you have decided to turn your lifestyle around by eating very healthily and exercising every evening after work, then you are sure to deserve a well earned relaxing weekend where you can take it easy and let your legs recuperate, or even chill out with a game of partypoker and a small indulgent dessert. One advantage of taking up running is that it increases your metabolism, which means you burn more calories each time you exercise; so enjoying a nice meal or a dessert once or twice a week shouldn't make you feel guilty at all. But what other advantages are there to running?

1. Running can in fact help delay the ageing process - regular runners do not have as much muscle or bone loss in comparison to non-runners. In addition, running pumps blood around the body and face, giving you a natural and healthy glow.

2. Regular running helps to strengthen your heart and lower your blood pressure, which can reduce the risk of heart attacks.

3. Running is one of the highest calorie burning exercises. It is estimated that you burn around 100 calories per mile, so if you run 3 or 4 miles, this clocks up to around 400 calories, which is roughly the equivalent to a big bowl of hearty pasta.

4. If you want to challenge yourself during your workout, try running uphill or jog up a few flights of stairs. This will strengthen your muscles and your heart, as well as toning up your thighs and arms. When you run uphill, remember to slightly reduce your pace to avoid getting too out of breath.