Running Extends Life by 3 Years...What is a run that is weak for my body?
Sep 15, 2025
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Kim Yoo-geun, Director of Orthopedic Surgery at Bupyeong Himchan Hospital, said "Running is an excellent aerobic exercise that uses whole-body muscles and strengthens cardiopulmonary functions, but the stress burden on the most moving lower body joints can cause various injuries."Especially if you are overweight or have injuries to your knees, or if you have pain in your lower extremities when you exercise, you should be more careful."
◇Expand average life span by 3 years if you enjoy running...Runners high experience, exercise addiction watch out
Running enhances cardiovascular function, lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke, and improving lung capacity to improve overall endurance of the body. In addition, it helps to lose weight by burning body fat, and is effective in preventing osteoporosis by increasing bone density. Endorphins, hormones activated by exercise, help reduce stress and relieve depression, and melatonin, which is secreted after exercise, is good for a good night's sleep.
In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 2014, the group who ran had a 30% lower overall mortality rate and 45% lower mortality rate from cardiovascular disease than the group who did not run, and the average life expectancy was extended by about three years.
However, fine injuries or incorrect postures in muscles and joints can be harmful to health.
Mainly, the general public is injured by excessive weight on joints or ligaments. The impact applied during running reaches several times the weight, and the repeated impact accumulates minute damage to the joints of the feet, ankles, and knees. The most common injury for both men and women when running is a knee injury.
In addition, it is common for beginners who do not usually use leg muscles to be diagnosed with non-abdominal muscle damage or Achilles tendinitis in the calf when they feel severe pain not long after they start running.
Long-trained runners experience 'Runner's High' pleasure and can lead to exercise addiction.
Runners high means that when you run until you are out of breath, you feel refreshed and happy at some point. It varies from person to person, but it is known that it can be felt when running intensely for more than 30 minutes with a heart rate of more than 120 times per minute.
Runners who have experienced this pleasure often desire longer distances and faster speeds. Greed creates strain on the body and increases the risk of injury. Even if an injury occurs, it can lead to chronic pain if the exercise is not easily stopped and persists. Above all, as soon as the pain is tolerable, it starts running, so the damaged muscles are used without time to recover, resulting in injuries due to excessive joint and muscle use. Experts explain that if you skip exercise even for △ a day, you can suspect exercise addiction if you feel anxious or depressed, △ If you are forced to run despite having pain, △ If your social and professional activities are disrupted by exercise, you can suspect exercise addiction.
◇ Replace running shoes after running 600-800km… Choose something comfortable for your feet over expensive products
To enjoy running safely, remember the 10% principle first. When you increase your exercise on a weekly basis, you don't increase it by more than 10% from the distance and time you ran last week. If you ran 5km this week, you will run within 5.5km next week. It increases the distance little by little rather than the speed. Run three to four times a week, and you need a rest day to recover your muscles and fascia. Fine muscle pain can have a cold compress effect when entering the cold bath. In addition, alternating between cold and hot baths helps blood circulation and accelerates fatigue recovery. Don't forget stretching before and after exercise.
You should choose your shoes well to minimize damage to your knees and feet. Since the structure of individual feet is different, calluses or arch heights appear differently on the soles of the feet depending on the position and degree of weight when stepping on them. In general, shoes with good cushioning are helpful when the arch of the foot is high, and shoes with hard and high stability that maintain the inner arch are helpful when the arch is low. Running shoes choose something comfortable for your feet over expensive or famous products. Usually, if you run 600 to 800 kilometers, the shock absorption power of your shoes will fall below 40% of the first time, so it is better to replace them with new shoes. Safety equipment such as reflective belts, head lanterns, and waterproof shoes must be worn at night or in rainy weather, and the volume is lowered when using earphones to recognize the surrounding situation.
Kim Yoo-geun, head of the orthopedic surgery hospital at Bupyeong Himchan Hospital, said, `As the learning crew culture spreads, the number of people running in groups has increased, but it is easy to lose their pace and over-pace, causing problems.' `Since safety comes first before records in learning, we should put personal physical strength and condition first rather than greed.'" he advised.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
