What does track do to your body

Your lungs will love it, too. The activity has been linked to better oxygen intake, improved circulation, and increased lung function, according to a report published in March in the journal Breathe. But running is one of those sports that also gets a bad rap for being notoriously tough on the body, from knee injuries to pulled or strained tendons to lost toenails. And what can you do about them?

If particularly severe, you might feel the pain all the time; if less severe you may feel it after long periods of sitting with bent knees, running, squatting, or climbing or descending stairs. What to Do About It You'll want to stop running until the pain goes away. Then, starting with brisk walking, gradually increase your distance and speed. Mandelbaum suggests no more than a 10 percent increase per week on each of those variables.

If the pain doesn't go away after three to five days of no running, it's time to call your doctor. Also, be sure to warm up before running or any exercise and incorporate leg-strengthening exercises into your workout routine to strengthen the muscles supporting the knee.

Health benefits of running and jogging Running versus jogging Goal setting for running and jogging Running and jogging for beginners Choosing running and jogging shoes Health and safety suggestions with running and jogging Where to get help.

Running — Preventing running injuries , Smartplay. More information here. Sharman J, , 'Clinicians prescribing exercise: is air pollution a hazard? Give feedback about this page. Was this page helpful? Yes No. View all keeping active. Related information. From other websites Australian Institute of Sport. Running and working out allows athletes to clear their brain.

It also helps them focus better , both during, and after the run. Track and field events like relays require teamwork and communication to be effective. Track and field also creates one on one situations between athletes and coaches that help athletes understand constructive criticism.

Setting goals for individual performance is a big part of track and field. Being able to set goals and work towards them provides experience for goal setting and hard work later in life. Track and field workouts and other physical activities help burn excess energy and release mood balancing endorphins. The hardest part about exercising is getting started. Seeing successes in track and field and regular practice helps increase motivation and encourages goal setting for bigger and better things.

Hard workouts provide stressful situations, and track and field is full of them. The ability to handle the workouts and grow from them helps individuals learn how to handle other stressful situations. Hard workouts also burn excess energy and allow the brain to think more clearly during stressful and frustrating situations.

Track and field is full of different events and challenges that provide plenty of opportunity to try new things.

Experiencing changes and participating in new events during track and field helps outside of track and field too.

Aerobic workouts like those found in track and field help release endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine which combat depression. Self-discipline is required to stick with track and field workouts. If an individual sticks with workouts, they start to see physical changes, faster times, better jumps, and longer throws, which may build self-esteem and confidence. Seeing hard work payoff builds self-confidence by giving track and field athletes something to be proud of and to showoff where they started the season and where they ended it.

Running and working out is always fun when a friend joins. Consistently working out and eating right can help encourage other friends and family to follow suit. Through many years of competition, Rawhide guys have set numerous school records for Starr Academy, but three jumping records stand out:.

All three records above were set by the same guy in Had he been eligible to compete in the Wisconsin State Track and Field Championship that year, his long jump and triple jump records would have placed him in the top five in any of the divisions. The meter dash record is also impressive. This shows that no matter what pace you're going, moving has positive effects and adds to the already significant body of research showing that running and other forms of exercise can improve mood and help fight depression.

Knee pain can quickly sideline a runner. It's often a sign of overtraining or a need to improve one's form or flexibility. But running probably isn't the cause of knee osteoarthritis. In one eight-year study of 2, participants , researchers found that the more people ran, the less likely they were to suffer from knee pain or osteoarthritis. While it's hard to say that running directly caused people to experience less knee pain, researchers think that could be the case since running helps people keep their BMI in check and their leg muscles strong.

Running also strengthens bones. In a study of 51 young people with an average age of 18, half were assigned to add running into their routines, while the other half did not they did get some exercise, but didn't add a regular running regimen. To get the benefits associated with running, the group of runners ran at a moderate pace for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for three weeks.

Those in that running group were found to sleep better, show signs of improved psychological functioning, and focus better during the day. The same benefits are likely to apply to runners of any age. We know that aerobic activity is good for the heart, so it's no surprise that running can improve cardiovascular fitness. In general, the more people run, the healthier their hearts tend to be.

But you can get big benefits without having to do a lot: running just five minutes per day could add years to your life, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. There has been some concern that extreme amounts of running — we're talking ultramarathon distances — could stress or scar the heart.

But a growing body of research seems to indicate that's not something to worry about. Researchers have found that people who run at least 40 miles per week have healthier hearts than those who run 13 miles a week, for example.

If you want to keep your mind healthy as you age, research indicates exercising is one of the best things you can do.