By Justine Patton

For my feature this semester for Jayplay, I wrote an article about how to train for your first 5K, while also training for one myself. Although my deadline has passed, I continue to run about three days a week for fitness. During my last run, I caught myself wondering what the benefits of running are. Here’s what I found out. Any type of physical activity is beneficial. According to a study performed by the University of British Columbia, regular physical activity is effective in preventing several chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, depression… and the list goes on.
For college students, running can do a lot. Deadlines and exams make life stressful, and studies have shown that any type of exercise, including running, can relieve stress and make individuals happier than those who don’t exercise. Running can also help ward off that dreaded Freshman 15. Running burns about 100 calories per mile for a 150-pound person, making it a great activity to help you maintain or lose weight and transform into a leaner, more muscular, you. Running also helps solve another common problem for college students: we’re broke. When you start running, there is no membership fee to pay and no equipment to buy. Your legs, and maybe a good pair of running shoes, are all you need to get moving. Running can also help you in the long run. Research from the American College of Sports Medicine found that runners who logged more than 50 miles a week had huge increases in HDL cholesterol, aka good fat, and even greater decreases in overall body fat. High blood pressure decreased significantly as well. Running may seem like it’s harsh on bones and joints, but it can actually reduce the chances osteoporosis will show up later. In a study performed by the University of Missouri, researchers found high-impact activities, such as running, prevent the loss of bone mineral density, which is a major cause of osteoporosis. So, when you’re 90, you may be thanking your college-aged self for spending all that time on the treadmill. So, next time you have an extra 30 minutes, throw on your tennis shoes and give running a try. Your body will thank you for it—today and maybe even 30 years from now.