No one likes to "run out" of a good thing, unless of course we are running into the arms of something better. The ushering in of the Fall season means our Summer is running out and even as adults we are hard-wired to think that this means relaxation is no longer an option. We are now required to gear up for our normal regimen of stress, schedules and the usual juggling of day-to-day obligations. Wouldn't it be nice to run out of this feeling? We can't, but we can counter-act it. So what I'm suggesting is that we continue running...well into Fall...and gain all of its wonderful benefits!
Whether you are an avid runner or you feel as though there is a bed of nails under each step you take, running can and will provide endless benefits for your body and mind. No matter what the season, or what you are up to, (the shortest and least complicated run or your second marathon), the experience of running can put you in a state of mind in which you are fully immersed in what you are doing. This is what pioneer runner, William Glasser, called "positive addiction." Positive addiction is where you perform a repetitive activity, without self-criticism or judgment, that has a beneficial effect on your mind and body.
Other mental benefits of running include: overall stress relief, confidence building and a sense of euphoria, known as a "runner's high" from the brain's release of endorphins. Running is even used to treat clinical depression, addictions, fatigue and life's biggest tensions. As with many things, the mental benefits of running are present only when they are allowed in. When negative thoughts shout the loudest, that's when that bed of nails seems endless.
Thankfully, the physical benefits of running happen no matter what. As you become more aerobically fit, your heart will pump more blood and oxygen with each beat (better known as stroke volume) and in response, your muscles extract and consume more oxygen. Running improves your aerobic fitness by increasing the activity of enzymes and hormones that stimulate the muscles and the heart to work more efficiently. It has even been suggested that the pounding of weight-bearing activities like walking (hills) and running may cause more fat burning then a seated exercise like biking, or an activity like swimming where there is no pounding at all.
So, whether you are outside enjoying the changing leaves and crisp air or on your treadmill with your iPod...keep running...because Winter is just around the corner.
Certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine for over 7 years, Corrinn takes her career and her client’s health and well being very serious. After finishing Providence College with a B.A. in Marketing, Corrinn spent 5 years in a corporate atmosphere before breaking out, full-time into the world of fitness. Her strength as a trainer lays in her capability to see the potential in each of her clients and push them to achieve more then they set out to.
Corrinn knows that the ups and downs of everyday life present a barrier for optimal physical fitness and thus strives to provide workouts that are dynamic, challenging and flexible. She is an avid sports enthusiast herself and loves to ski, jog and take bikram yoga. Her love of all things physical, enable her to develop rewarding and focused exercise plans for her clients and straightforward strategies for eating well.
Corrinn believes that at the end of the day …everyone deserves to feel strong, live healthy and be balanced.
Her fitness tips, "Your Personal Best," will be featured regularly in future issues of
Aetherial Living.
If you enjoy this article, or would like to know more about Corrinn, please drop her a comment at corrinn@aetheriaspa.com
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