as a runner these 8 numbers you may not know
After running for so long, everyone must have a basic understanding of the benefits of running, buthow long should you run each week, and how many steps should you take to achieve different exercise effectsis not something everyone knows.
For example, many Codoon friends often ask:
Why haven't I lost weight even though I've been running for so long?
Before answering this question, I need to ask a few questions:
How long is 'so long'?
How much do you run on average each week?
How much have you run so far?
Not sure how to answer? Then keep reading. In this article, I will tell you how different exercise durations and running distances can bring about different changes.
Fitness and Brain Benefits
Steps: 5,400
Running for 30 minutes can help improve our reaction time and reasoning ability (turning into Sherlock Holmes in no time). Research shows that maintaining physical flexibility can better prevent the nervous system from deteriorating with age.
Frequency: 30 minutes
Continuous Fat Burning
Steps: 8,100
Running for 45 minutes can keep our metabolic rate at a higher level for 14 hours after exercise. Additionally, within a day after exercise, it can burn an extra 800 kilojoules of calories.
Frequency: 45 minutes
Mood Improvement
Steps: 27,000
Running for 30 minutes 3-5 times a week can help us calmly face life's pressures. According to data, some patients with depression recover much faster after practicing jogging compared to those who only undergo medication treatment.
Frequency: 4 times a week, 30 minutes each time
Protect Fragile Joints
Steps: 54,000
According to Stanford University research, running for 1 hour 5 times a week can result in fewer knee injuries and joint problems in old age.
Frequency: 5 times a week, 60 minutes each time
Lower Blood Pressure
Steps: 144,000
For every kilogram of weight lost, systolic and diastolic blood pressure will decrease by 1 mmHg. Running for 50 minutes 4 times a week for a month will burn 32,220 kilojoules of calories.
Frequency: 4 times a week, 50 minutes each time, for 1 month
Muscle Definition
Steps: 388,800
Actually, to have muscle definition, you don't necessarily need to do weight training. For men, after the age of 30, muscle protein synthesis rate decreases by 3.5% each year. However, doing aerobic training 3 times a week for 4 months can increase the muscle protein synthesis rate.
Frequency: 3 times a week, 45 minutes each time, for 4 months
Lower Cholesterol
Steps: 432,000
Research shows that running for more than 10 weeks can significantly reduce harmful blood lipid levels. Additionally, training for more than two months can increase HDL (good cholesterol) levels by 5%. Therefore, developing a healthy running habit can regulate the ratio of good to bad cholesterol and reduce the incidence of heart disease.
Frequency: 4 times a week, 60 minutes each time, for 10 weeks
Enhance (Intimate) Ability
Steps: 1,500,000
Want to improve both your and your partner's experience? Running for 1 hour 3 times a week for 9 months can increase the frequency and quality of intimate activities. Research shows that men who do not exercise are 71% more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction compared to those who do. So, to ensure that every 'big deal' goes smoothly, you know what to do.
Frequency: 4 times a week, 60 minutes each time, for 9 months
Step frequency is the rate at which your legs switch support points while running. Elite long-distance runners usually take 180 steps per minute.
Exercise physiologist Jack Daniels found through studying data from all running events at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics that in races over 3,000 meters, only one person had a step frequency below 180 steps per minute, and that person had a step frequency of 178 steps per minute.
However, experts point out that only through training can one achieve a speed of 180 steps per minute.
The step counts above are calculated based on a step frequency of 180 steps per minute.
Of course, this step frequency is quite challenging for the average person.
However, after a period of training, ordinary runners can generally achieve a step frequency of 150-170 steps per minute. For most people, running is an aerobic exercise, and while step frequency is important, consistency in exercise is even more crucial.
Based on 180 steps per minute, here are the step counts for different distances:
5 km run - 6,200 steps / 10 km run - 12,400 steps
Half marathon - 26,200 steps / Full marathon - 52,400 steps
Finally, I want to discuss a small topic with everyone:
How many steps do you usually run each time?
You can calculate it using step frequency x running time. Feel free to leave a comment! You can think of this number as your salary and proudly show it off. After all, isn't health the greatest wealth? Come on!