For many people, daily runs can translate to overtraining, which means higher risk of overuse injuries and fatigue. But for experienced runners with a proper program and an established routine, running every day can provide a sense of consistency and progress.
Running too much can thicken the heart tissue and cause fibrosis or scarring, which can cause atrial fibrillation or an erratic heartbeat. A buildup of free radicals that may combine with cholesterol to form plaque in your arteries is another side effect of prolonged exercise known as ``oxidative stress.''
Running every day increases the risk of overuse injuries such as shin splints, stress fractures, and tendonitis. These injuries occur due to repetitive stress on the muscles, joints, and bones. Without proper cross-training, daily running can lead to muscle imbalances.
Most people don't need to run 7 days a week unless they're working towards a high level goal. The extra day of undue stress increases your risk of injury and even elites will take days off on occasion. Personally I've been able to reach upper 60s to 70mpw on 6 days and low to mid 80mpw on 6 days with doubles.
Running is a high impact, repetitive exercise and certainly has potential for injuries. As with any sport or exercise there is always risk of injury. The level of risk varies with your current level of health and fitness, previous injuries and appropriate training programs.
Running 2 miles a day has many health benefits and can be very motivating. And since it's easier to sustain than other running plans, it's a good way to get you moving every day.
One indication of running too much is that your general energy is down, resting heart rate is up, and performance or paces are slower than normal. These side effects are likely because you are not getting the recovery needed. Also, look to your muscles for signs of overdoing it.
Over-exercising is when we do more exercise than our body can handle. This can include doing too much exercise or exercising in an unsafe way, or not eating enough food alongside exercising. Over-exercising is different for different people. One person might feel ok doing a certain amount of exercise.
You will have stronger legs from running
When we run, we use all the muscles in our legs, big and small. If you are new to running, you might be surprised by how quickly you start to develop lean muscle in your legs and the speed at which you build endurance.
However, the good news is that running is one of the best forms of exercise to lose belly fat, and there are even a few small tweaks you can make to your regular running schedule to deliver a sustained fat burning boost.
Try to start with one to three miles per day if you are new to running. Stay closer to the one-mile end if you don't currently do much exercise. If you hike, bike, or do something similar, you may want to see how you do running three miles a day. As you gain more miles over time, your heart and lungs become stronger.
This can burn more calories and help with weight loss. Running on an empty stomach also improves our endurance. We get used to running when our sugar levels are low. This helps us run longer and better in competitions.
A good rule of thumb is to never increase weekly running distance by more than 10%. This allows your body to recover and heal while still pushing the limit, and will provide much better results than forcing yourself to go to the absolute maximum every time.
Risk of overuse injuries. "The biggest drawback to running every day is not allowing the body to recover properly", Mack says. That can prompt problems related to repetitive stress on muscles, bones and tendons, known as overuse injuries.
But in some cases, extreme exercise can damage the heart. Research is showing that a small percentage of middle-aged and older athletes who compete in endurance events over many years may be at higher risk for developing atrial fibrillation – an irregular heartbeat – and other heart problems.
If you're tired, you might think “I just don't want to train today” in a light-hearted manner, whereas the feelings we typically associate with overtraining have a “heaviness“ to them. A good gauge of whether you're overtrained is to keep track of how many sessions in a row you're feeling unmotivated for.
What is running fatigue? For most people, running fatigue is a state of feeling overly tired or constantly fighting injuries. It usually builds up over several months and somewhat differs from normal fatigue caused by consistent training. With normal running fatigue, your legs may feel tired some days.
But long runs alone aren't going to help you shed that belly fat. You also need to make dietary and lifestyle changes to shift those problem areas. Even if you're a regular runner who is watchful of what you eat, it's still possible to have belly fat that you just can't shift.
Based on an average step length of 2 1/2 feet, 10,000 steps is roughly equal to 5 miles. However, due to factors such as your height and walking speed, this number can vary. Online calculators can help determine how many miles you'll cover in 10,000 steps.
If you're trying to lose weight, moderately paced running can burn calories twice as fast as walking. If you're just trying to promote a base level of health and fitness, then walking will do the job just as well. Running delivers more health benefits more efficiently than walking.