A TALL, blond, teenage boy, smoking a fat cigar, walked up to me in a shopping plaza and asked, "Why do you run every morning?"
Dozens of people have asked me the same question since I began running for exercise four years ago. Running provides the greatest amount of beneficial exercise with the least daily expenditure of time. Running will strengthen your heart and lungs, improve the circulation of the blood, increase your physical energy and zest, burn off extra calories, and give you an over-all feeling of well-being.
You can run when you want, where you want, alone, with a partner, or in a group; and best of all, it's free!
A few people will poke fun at a person like me who runs for exercise. But it's no laughing matter when unnecessary illness or death results from ignoring the laws of health, one of which is exercise. Money can buy replacements for most material possessions. But health, once it is lost, cannot be restored through money.
While not everyone should run, most people would benefit from this type of exercise. Before starting such a program of exercise, if there are any doubts, visit your family doctor.
Running is one of the best exercises to strengthen the heart and lungs. A regular program of running will develop correct habits of breathing. After running several minutes, deep breathing is automatic, triggered by the increased demand of the body for oxygen. Deeper breathing all day long is a by-product of the daily run.
A regular program of running will not only strengthen your heart but will decrease the number of heartbeats per minute, which means extra rest for your heart. Too many Americans are getting "soft" unnecessarily in their twenties. The phrase "out of shape" takes on a new shade of meaning, as we can't help observing the fleshy midriffs of many a minister and/or his wife. A daily run will work wonders to keep muscles in tone and bodies in shape. Most of us eat too much and exercise too little. Running burns off extra calories. My daily run, over and above regular activity, burns off an extra three hundred to five hundred calories. Exercise is not the solution to the weight problem, but it is a help. The greatest exercise in weight control remains that push away from the table. Sound sleep is another benefit of vigorous exercise.
Many good books have been written about exercise and its benefits. Especially good is the one by Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., entitled Aerobics, available in paper back for $1.
Perhaps you have thought about running yourself. If not, perhaps reading this article will stimulate such an interest. Here are some ideas on the mechanics of running, the outgrowth of some 2,500 miles of experience:
How far should one run? Aerobics out lines a twelve-minute test you may take to determine how much you should run to begin your fitness program and suggests a plan that gradually builds you up. According to Cooper, running one mile a day in eight minutes, six days a week, is sufficient to maintain fitness, once it has been achieved. My daily run has ranged between one and five miles. For me, one mile is not enough and five miles is too much. Two or three miles is best for me.
Before running, walk a mile to warm up your muscles. After the run, walk another mile to cool off. While walking to cool off, practice forced breathing. First, walk one or two blocks, allowing your heartbeat and respiration to return to normal. Then walk briskly, counting your steps. Take six steps while cramming your lungs full of air. Then six more steps while exhaling, squeezing all the air out of your lungs. To do this you will have to concentrate and walk fast.
Where should one run? I have always run in my own neighborhood. The daily run does consume time, and to drive to a gym or a track only adds to this time. If the streets around your home are hilly or if you live in a downtown area you might have to go elsewhere to run.
One important consideration in choosing a place to run is the avoidance of potential canine molesters. I am not afraid of dogs, but to convince a hostile canine of this while running is fun for the dog and spectators but hardly for you. Experiment with different routes when you begin your program until you find a satisfactory one. Once your route is established, drive over it with your car, making a mental note at the one-, two-, and three-mile marks.
What about running in place? I have never done this and choose not to. It is exhilarating to run under the open sky, covering distance, enjoying a tremendous feeling of freedom. Running in place is a clock-watching affair, which to me implies a job that's drudgery. Running a certain distance implies getting a job done that is fun; no clock-watching involved.
If you are overweight or up in years or both and are self-conscious, running in place is certainly better than not running at all. However, about twice as much time is required to get the same results.
During bad weather running in place may be necessary.
How many days a week should one run? Six is my goal, but occasionally things come up, causing me to miss a day. Never let missing a day discourage you. Keep at it until it becomes a way of life; a force of habit. This habit of running is not established in days or weeks. At least it wasn't for me. It wasn't until my third year of running that I could honestly say it had become a habit. And habits are hard to break!
What should one wear when running? A good pair of tennis shoes with arch supports are important. In warm weather I wear white shorts and a tennis shirt. When selecting your shorts, buy them loose enough so as not to restrict breathing. In cold weather dress warm enough to keep the muscles warm. What one wears in cold weather depends on how cold it gets where he lives. On cold days warm up in the house and then exercise indoors again after the run instead of walking a mile before and after your run. This will reduce the time you spend in the cold.
Should one run alone? Yes. I prefer to run alone. When alone you can set your own time, speed, and distance. While running I get some of my best ideas and do my clearest thinking. The ideas being presented in this article are the thinking crop of one day's run. When you run with some one, thinking is reduced to conversation and talking requires breath that you can't afford while running. However, some people seem to need someone to run with. In such case, find your partner and start running.
How does one find time to run? I get up at five o'clock in the morning. It gives me a head start on the day with two hours of study under the belt before seven o'clock. I use one hour for exercise and then have breakfast. It is true that we will always find time to do the things we want to do. If you cannot fit a run into your schedule before breakfast, before supper is just as good. In fact, anytime of day or night is good except after eating.
How should one work into a running program? Begin by walking daily, gradually increasing your speed until you can walk a mile in fourteen minutes or less without exertion. Then alternate jogging a few steps and walking a few steps. Gradually increase the jogging until you can run the mile in eight minutes or less. This objective might take several months to achieve. Finally, in small portions and without straining yourself, increase the distance or length of time spent running daily until you reach the distance you want to run.
I run a mile in seven to eight minutes. My one objective in running is exercise, not to break records. When thinking about how fast and how far to run, remember why you are running in the first place---to strengthen your body, not to strain it.
