Why we Run & Why Running Matters

Why do we run?

Quick History

When you do a quick search to find out when humans ran for exercise and recreation, conflicting answers pop up. Sources do point to the fact that ancient civilizations, like the Greeks or Egyptians, participated in running for sport. And pre-1900s, ‘jogging’ (running as recreation) referred to something you did on a horse or to your memory.

Leisurely jogging, as we know, see, and experience today, didn’t really exist. Running for fun was so odd for average citizens that in 1950s America, recreational runners found themselves approached by police for their ‘suspicious’ activities.

Whether in ancient Greek Olympic games, the early 1900s, or post-war North America, jogging was regarded as an exclusive exercise. It was an exercise for those known to be fitter than most. But those who kept on running in the 1960s, despite being viewed as strange, weird, or even suspicious by police, started a trend that would grow legs and take off.

Bill Bowerman

It was around this time when Bill Bowerman, a university/Olympic track and field coach, reportedly brought the trend back to the United States after a trip to New Zealand. After discovering groups of people who gathered to jog for fun, he and a cardiologist developed the short book: Jogging. Many credit this book with sparking the never-ending love in North America of strapping on our sneakers and taking to the pavement. Bowerman didn’t stop with his book, either. He went on to co-found Nike while performing research studies on jogging and human health.

Why does running matter?

It is one of the most Accessible Forms of Exercise

You don’t need a gym to run. You don’t need equipment beyond clothing to run. And beside some good shoes, there aren’t many costs associated with getting into jogging. Like any other sport or activity, there are many ways to enhance your workouts: music and cordless headphones, premium running shoes, expensive activewear, travel to foreign/exotic locations, or fitness trackers and GPS smartwatches.

But you don’t need ANY of it. Running is available to almost all. But we do need to consider the cost of time. Not everyone can fit long runs in the park every morning or a jog around a scenic area each month. Creating a running routine that works for your budget is what getting into this type of recreation all comes down to; how much time and money can you spend on running?

It Helps your Body in so Many Ways

Running and jogging is a full-body workout- it’s not just for your legs. We activate a few other muscle groups when we take off on our workouts, and when you start raising your heartbeat, you begin working the biggest muscle group of all: the gluteus maximus, also known as our butts.

Running also helps improve heart health, works our core (stomach, lower back, abs), and can have a positive effect on brain function.

Beyond our brains, a good run routine can also help our minds.

Running can be Good for our Mental Health

In general, regular exercise and physical activity can boost a low mood; ‘runners’ high’ is what many will call this heightened sense of feel-good energy in the running world. There is debate surrounding what directly causes feelings of calm or well-being after exercise. But, enough people report feelings of happiness or calm after exercise that we know there’s something to it. Some would even call it a therapeutic effect. From the research, many report lower feelings of stress or anxiety after exercise.

How can a Smartwatch or Fitness Tracker Improve Your Run?

At superwatches.com, we review, unbox, and examine several different types of smartwatches. There is a huge range of running smartwatches out there that can add huge benefits to your sprint, jog, or treadmill workout. You don’t need a smartwatch or fitness tracker to get out and enjoy the fresh air, of course. We did mention running to be one of the most accessible forms of exercise, so skipping this type of equipment is not a big deal!

But the great thing about the smartwatch technology (which has come a LONG way) is that there are prices out there for all sorts of budgets.

And we cover them all. From the high-tech GPS watches at Garmin to one that can pair seamlessly with your phone like a Samsung Galaxy or Apple Watch. For more on running smartwatches, read our breakdown of the 12 Best Running Watches in 2022.

For more on fitness trackers (like a Fitbit), read our list of the Best Fitness Trackers in 2022.  

Are you an experienced runner or jogger? Let us know in the comments your best piece of advice to someone just starting out.

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Last Updated on May 16, 2022