It was a beautiful, crisp, and sunny fall morning. I could hear my feet pounding the trail. At mile 10 of my virtual half marathon, I asked myself, “Why are you running? You won’t even get a medal for this race.”   At some sweaty, exhausted, and breathless point or another, pretty much every runner has asked themselves this question. Runners have a variety of reasons for running. Some run because they want to improve their health, compete in races, or to lose weight. My Why for running is the blissful solitude it provides me. Running is my passive meditation. On my long runs, I spend hours in nature, surrounded by beauty. I can listen to the birds chirping early in the morning and, I get to witness the most beautiful sunrises. I wanted to have an even more compelling argument in favor of running, so the thought of writing this blog occurred to me on my Sunday morning run (I told you! Running is good for your brain). I want to share 13.1 reasons why running is for everyone and why you should give it a try. Everyone can run! Yes, everyone. No matter your age, gender, height, or background.

1. It’s a great full-body workout. You move your whole body while doing this workout. You build a healthier heart and lungs and stronger core and legs.
2. Running is a sport that you can do no matter what the weather conditions are. In rain, snow, sleet, or hail, you can go out and get your run in.
3. Looking at my sneaker collection, you might disagree but running is a cheap sport. You don’t have to pay for any gym membership. Just put your running shoes on and hit the trail or pavement.
4. Running makes you mentally strong. Okay, I give in. Yes! Running isn’t the easiest, but you are living proof that you can overcome significant challenges when you work hard and eventually conquer a new distance or pace. Running makes your horizons expand and impossible become possible.
5. No one is too old to run. You might just add years to your life if you start running. Endurance exercise has been shown in studies to preserve telomere length. Telomeres are the heads of the chromosomes that determine your biological age.
6. Running clears your mind. There is something about the flow of oxygen to the muscles that simplifies the trickiest problems.
7. Runners are happier, more positive, and have higher self-esteem, according to a published in the Journal of Positive Psychology. The endorphin rush you get from the activity is a great pick-me-up.
8. Running strengthens the muscles around the knees and prevents arthritis. Study after study disproves the myth that running is bad for your knees. A recent study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found that veteran American marathoners had only half as much arthritis as non-runners.
9. Running can help relieve stress and eliminate depression. It’s the cheapest anti-depression drug on the market. Only a few minutes of running and your brain will start to secrete hormones that naturally improve your mood.
10. Running helps improve sleep quality. When you run, you force your body to exert excess energy and hormones. Running also helps to reduce your chances of developing tension headaches.
11. Are you always forgetting names or keys? Running improves memory. According to a study from the University of British Columbia, regular aerobic exercise increases the size of your hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
12. Running helps you explore new places. It’s a great way to explores cities on your vacation, national parks on your trail runs.
13. You can build new friendships or catch up with old ones on the run.                             13.1 You can eat carbs!

Running is a sport that takes determination and motivation to accomplish your goals, but it is totally worth all its benefits. Running can get you healthier and help you in many other parts of life. I suggest you go out and give running a try because you might enjoy it just as much as I do. Why are you still sitting on the couch? Lace-up