The popularity of running is gaining momentum, and the number of people wishing to take part in amateur races is proof of this. Sooner or later, many people think about participating in a marathon. The distance of a marathon is always the same – 42 kilometers 195 meters, while the distance for races can be 5, 10, or more kilometers.
Once upon a time, such sports events were available only to professional athletes, but later they became available for other people too. So should you participate in it or not? Here are some reasons you should consider it.
Benefits Of Running A Marathon
Below are some health benefits of running a marathon.
1. Source Of Motivation
Most people exercise and run to lose weight and keep fit. Running is a great goal for aspiring runners looking to shed those extra pounds. To begin with, you should not choose a very long distance, for example, start with 5 kilometers.
Research in sports psychology confirms that getting socially prepared for an exercise and getting involved in it is a more reliable way to maintain motivation than obsessing over your own weight.
2. The Antidote To Self-Doubt
Running preparation is a constant source of a self-esteem boost. Each time you participate in a marathon, you win small victories over yourself. Participating in a marathon is a victory; being able to run a kilometer without stopping is victory, and ending it successfully is also a victory. Thus, self-confidence is built on the basis of achievement. The experience by our body becomes an integral part of reality, and in a short time, we develop confidence in our abilities.
3. Help To Give Up Addiction
If you are physically active, the harmful effects of substance abuse get minimized. This is the reason many experts at rehab centers recommend getting involved in physical exercises. According to them, it helps a person to beat addiction. What’s better than running a marathon?
Give it a try, and there will be a noticeable change in your health.
However, if physical activities do not help you fight addiction, you must seek help from a rehab center. Many people do not take this option because of the high cost of rehab centers, and they don’t have insurance to cover it. If you are one of them, know that there are many financing options available that can help you pay for rehab without insurance and get sober. So the cost of rehab is no longer a hurdle in getting a life free of addiction.
4. Reduces Stress
By running a marathon, you can get rid of blues, despondency, and procrastination. During physical activity, the body actively releases endorphins – hormones of joy, as well as endocannabinoids – substances that compensate for stress and pain.
Regular running makes people more stress-resistant and cheerful. You can also confirm this fact by the experience of many professional runners. According to them, after a run, problems that seemed insurmountable cease to exist.
5. Alternative To Training
Preparation for a marathon solves the problems of a whole range of training, such as goal setting and time management. The race itself is about setting a goal, preparing a plan, and following it. It teaches you how to deal with obstacles, prioritize and find time for something important. Training teaches the same thing, so it is a great substitute. Subsequently, this experience can be transferred to many other areas of life.
6. Source Of Self-knowledge
From my own experience, I can say that during the preparation for my first marathon, I learned no less about myself than during the years of study at University. In the process of preparation, you have to deal with all your behavioral features, such as resistance, fears, and limiting attitudes.
All these unpleasant qualities are not only worked out but also retreated before striving for the goal. Awareness of the problem is already part of the solution. Therefore, race is not only a source of knowledge about oneself but also a practice of self-development.
7. Become A Part Of Team
The running community is predominantly positive and motivated people; it is unlikely to meet unfriendly and aggressive runners. The race is an opportunity to feel like a part of a large team united by one goal.
And marathons have hundreds of people, so they have incredible energy, where everyone is on the same wavelength and status, and social differences are not important. Everyone is in sweatpants and sneakers, and everyone is running. You feel like you are a part of a professional team, and it helps you stay active, healthy, and smart.
8. Opportunity To Make New Friends
Runners share common values, so during the preparation for the race, you can meet people who are close in spirit. When a person prepares, he looks for information, workshops and goes to running clubs. In this way, your circle of communication expands, which means that the opportunities to meet your soul mate, a business partner, or just a good friend increases.
9. Helps You Stay Positive
In fact, to run a marathon for the first time is to do what until that moment seemed impossible, to go beyond your own psychological and physical limitations. When you go through the path of preparation and reach the cherished finish line, there is a feeling of euphoria – I can!
There is an inspiration for further achievements. This transcendental experience becomes an inspiration for achieving future goals and achievements.
10. Makes Your Life Adventurous
When you want to diversify your life and add drive to it, there is nothing better than a race, especially when life lacks bright colors and emotions. Running events are held every day in various parts of the world.
There is a Color Me Rad event that has a five-kilometer route, and runners throw colored starch bombs on each other. It is such a fun running event that you should definitely participate in. You can see the world on the run and see something that you will never see during a regular trip or excursion.
Summing Up
Though running a marathon might seem tiring to some but trust us it offers several health benefits. You can develop self-confidence, learn to give up the addiction, and get motivation. So according to us, you must give it a shot as it is a wonderful experience.
