Discovery Vitality
  • Studies have shown that humans are made to run and can even outrun most mammals in distance (not speed).
  • From reducing stress and boosting cognitive function to burning calories and increasing longevity, running has numerous benefits to the human body.
  • See the infographic below on why running might just be the perfect exercise.

In the last 10 years, more runners have hit the road than ever before. Globally, the number of runners who participate in ultra-races has increased by 345%, according to The State of Ultra Running 2020 report.

So, why running? Experts say that the human body is built to run km after km. In a paper titled The Evolution of Marathon Running in the journal of Sports Medicine, scientists found that from the shape of our hips and the length of our legs to the shock-absorption abilities of our spinal discs, running might just inherently be part of our DNA.

In his book Born to Run, avid runner Christopher McDougall says that running was mankind’s first fine art because it was indispensable for survival. “You had to love running, or you wouldn’t live to love anything else (…) You ran to eat and to avoid being eaten,” he writes.  Today, running might not be as quintessential for food or flight, but it still has timeless benefits for the human body.

According to Mosima Mabunda, Head of Wellness at Discovery Vitality, major health benefits that come from running include improved cardiovascular health, mental health, weight loss and longevity. A recent paper titled Running as a Key Lifestyle Medicine for Longevity found that runners generally have a 25%-40% reduced risk of premature mortality and live approximately three years longer than non-runners. Which is probably why McDougall also famously said, “You don’t stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running.”

Here are some reasons why running is an excellent form of exercise. 

Discovery Vitality

This post was sponsored by Discovery Vitality and produced by BrandStudio24.