The Fitness and Health Benefits of Running a Marathon
Is Running a Marathon Healthy?
“Should I run a marathon?” is one of the most common questions we get asked. If you ask us this, immediately we know two things:
You want to run a marathon
You’re not sure if it will be good for you
A better question would be, “Is marathon running healthy?”
Why Do People Run Marathons?
Unless you’re a Zulu warrior heading into battle, it’s unlikely that getting to your destination is your reason to run 26 miles. It’s a grueling, time-consuming, and tiring event. Even elite runners will spend upwards of two hours pounding the streets before they complete the distance.
Hours of loading on your body.
Hours of heavy breathing.
Then there’s the fabled ‘wall’ to negotiate. Running a marathon is as much a mental test as a physical one.
With so much physical and mental stress promised to you, why do a marathon?
At any one time at Reload, we have many people training to run a marathon:
Some are training to do their first marathon.
Some are seasoned runners, aiming to beat their personal bests through a training regime that will unlock their full potential.
Some of our marathon runners have the goal of running every major marathon across America.
Some want to run a marathon in every city.
Then there are those running for a cause. In memory of a loved one, perhaps.
Marathon running is also popular as a team-building exercise, for those wanting to prove their resilience to themselves or to overcome barriers such as testing their mental strength.
Whatever the motivation to run a marathon, training for a marathon takes a lot of time. You’ll need to take care of what you eat and drink. You’ll need to block off many weekends to run long distances, and spend countless hours during the week preparing. Your social life will take second place.
If you’ve committed to all this to train for and run a marathon, trust us when we say that you have the mental strength to do so. All that is holding you back from achieving your marathon-running goals is your physical fitness.
Is running a marathon healthy?
Centuries ago, we weren’t blessed with automobiles. We walked everywhere. If we wanted to get somewhere quickly, or escape danger, we ran. It’s said that the Zulus could run 50 miles before going into battle. Maybe they could. Maybe it’s a myth.
One thing is certain. Before trains, planes, and automobiles, we were fitter and more able to walk or run long distances.
Today, running distance isn’t a necessity. People do it for all the reasons we’ve listed above. And they also do it because training for and running marathons delivers many health benefits.
Training for a marathon can take care of the issues that most people would have if they were inactive:
It helps you build strength
It helps you develop your aerobic capacity
It helps your bones become stronger and more resilient – the key to preventing osteoporosis
It limits the risks of developing cardiovascular disease
It reduces the risk of cancer
Now, that’s a hatful of physical fitness benefits, but we’re only scratching the surface. We know that marathon runners are also mentally strong, and the ability for marathon running to improve your mental health goes further. You’ll have less risk of:
Dementia
Alzheimer’s
Parkinson’s
One of the greatest yet least often discussed benefits of marathon running is that it gives you a goal. It adds an extra level of meaning to your life. That goal will keep you on track with your training. It gives you the impetus to train three, four, or five days each week to make the progress you must if you want to complete that marathon.
Training for a marathon also meets the physical activity guidelines set by the WHO, the America Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the American College of Sports Medicine. They all agree that 115 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise minimizes the risk of all these things we’ve just mentioned above, as well as other conditions and diseases like stroke, diabetes, obesity, and frailty.
A word of warning, though – marathon running can be addictive! Each training session is a mini-accomplishment on the way to your objective. And there really is little to compare with the exhilaration you’ll feel when you cross that finish line.
Resilience is key to unlocking the benefits of running a marathon
Most people are unsure that they could run a marathon. Does this sound like you?
That hesitancy will soon disappear when you work with a coach who understands you, your goals, your lifestyle, and your limitations.
When we work with clients who have the goal of running a marathon, we find that there are a few commonalities that hold them back:
The pain they feel when running
A current or recurrent injury
Lack of confidence in their performance
Fears of distance running that they need to overcome
Often, people will have had a negative experience of running. They may have fallen. They may have failed to complete or compete. They may be worried about an old injury.
It’s crucial to work steadily toward your fitness goals, building the confidence you need in your ability to run further and faster.
“Whether it’s pain, injury, or performance, people come into us with certain beliefs and concerns. They have fears that they can’t overcome. The first and most important thing that we do is to give people a positive experience, so they develop the confidence they need to overcome their current situation,” Ryan Chow explains. “Whether that is chronic pain or disability or injury, or simply insecurity about their ability, we must identify these situations and create experiences and environments that prove to people that they can get better, and they can accomplish their fitness goals. The body will follow what the mind believes.”
Great personal trainers and physical therapists never simply say, “Hey, do it this way, you’re gonna be fine.” We demonstrate the difference that training can make, and the client must feel that difference in their mind as well as their body.
Some runners push the boundaries
Returning to the Zulus. While it has been said they could run 50 miles and then go into battle, conventional wisdom casts a big shadow of doubt over this. One of our star runners certainly calls into question these doubters.
“He’s running a 100-mile race. Four marathons. Without stopping,” says Ryan. “He’s had injuries. He’s trained for nine months to do this. He’s doing it to push himself to his limits. To better understand what his body can do, so he can continue to grow and develop as a person. A lot of people have a similar profile.”
Are you ready to push your boundaries, and take advantage of the benefits of training for a marathon?
To start your journey to unlocking the health and fitness benefits of running a marathon, sign up for a complimentary performance assessment with Reload today.
