10 good reasons to start running

Whether you are still hesitating to start running, you've been convinced about this discipline for a long time and simply feel happy to read that you made the right choice (though you already knew that), or you're looking for — along with your own — some compelling arguments to convince someone to put on their'sneakers, this article is for you. 💁🏾‍♀️

Here you will discover objectively (that's a lie) why running is a sport you will not regret adopting and all that it has to offer you. And we should warn you: it's very likely that you will feel a strong urge to run after reading this article (and even before). 🐜

Flashback: we're in the middle of a PE class, students are running around the football field. And then there's you. (Very poorly) hiding behind a tree. Exercising and sweating? Not much for you, and for what exactly? If it's just to smell like a beast for the rest of the day, it's not even worth thinking about. As for running in the rain during the cross at school, it’s simple: it’s nope. Yes, this highly likable character was none other than you, a few years (decades?) ago. Sorry 🤐). Back then, there was no one less sporty and convinced of not being one. Yet today, running is winking at you. Running is like that boy or girl you didn't notice in school and who has now glowed up, as the youngsters say. The discreet math geek from 9th grade B, ultimate handsome/beautiful guy/girl over the past few years (and undoubtedly for years to come). Yes, if someone had told you that you'd have a crush on running, you wouldn't have believed it. Yet here you are admiring those runners passing by your window, dreaming of joining them. Maybe one day. And indeed, one day, the urge to try it is too strong. So you put on an old pair of sneakers and an outfit that seems close enough to a (runner's kit): an old cotton t-shirt from your camping vacation and a jogging suit that makes noise with every step you take. Right then, you hated running. It was hard, "wow, how hard it was!". Yet, you went back. Not for the style, not for the fame, just because, in a way, you started to like it. Today, it's much more than that: your look has evolved, your stride too, and your love for running only keeps on growing… you even wonder how you could do without it. 🤷🏼

Days at school, work, or home where nothing seems to go right, we all know them. The anxiety of meeting deadlines, the feeling of not keeping up, and the continuous, relentless surprises, as if the universe has nothing better to do than to give us a hard time. “Alright, just one last little annoyance for the road, and then we're good… or not!” 😈

What a slap in the face we give it when, by lacing up our shoes and throwing ourselves forward with all our being, we catch up with the serenity that seemed to have sped away. In running, we learn that a problem is truly such when at the end of our jog/workout, we haven't found a solution yet. Running sets our breaths to a more soothing frequency because despite being out of breath, we maintain control over it. Step by step, running clears our minds and the wind soothingly reminds us that simply going out is sometimes enough to sweep away the trivialities that seemed insurmountable just moments ago. In running, the impossible doesn't exist because the movement sets us on the path to achieving it.

💡 It's science talking!

- Endorphins, aka happiness hormones, are molecules secreted by the brain, especially during physical activity like running. They help improve mood and concentration, as well as the quality of sleep. They also have anxiolytic effects (they reduce stress) and pain-relieving effects (they decrease the sensation of pain).

- In 2012, after reviewing numerous scientific articles, the global expert network Cochrane concluded that physical activity has a positive influence on depressive symptoms.

- In October 2020, the scientific journal The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health published a comparison of 116 studies on the relationship between running and mental health. Of these 116 studies, 16 focus on mental health measures among runners and non-runners. The result speaks for itself: runners are less depressed, less anxious, less prone to stress, benefit from a better psychological well-being and display a better mood than sedentary people.

- In an article in the National Geographic, Karmel Choi, a clinical psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, mentions a study revealing that individuals suffering from depression and who incorporated regular running into their daily lives recovered as quickly as those taking antidepressants. Following another study, her team of researchers believes that if we swapped fifteen minutes of sitting for fifteen minutes of running daily, the risk of depression would decrease by 26%. 

Obviously, because running is first and foremost a physical activity, you can guess its benefits are numerous:

If you're still looking to be convinced, let us know! 👋

Whether your goal is to improve your physical health, to lose weight, or to get back in shape, we quickly explain the best practices to adopt so that your start in the world of running is fruitful and motivating.

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned runner, the rule is simple and always the same: progressivity is the key to your longevity in this sport. It will protect you from the risk of injuries and drops in motivation. We thus recommend you to gradually increase your training volume (in terms of distance, duration, and intensity) by 10 to 20% each month.

And if you’re putting on your running sneakers for the first time, know that your sensations during the effort are bound to improve. So be gentle with yourself: it is absolutely normal not to be able to run for long while being completely at ease breath-wise and muscle-wise during your first running session, and even during the following ones. You'll see, you'll progress gradually. Slowly but steadily.

Whether you're running for the first time in your life or you're resuming running after a long break, the rule is strictly the same: once again, it's about being progressive. Unlike the complete novice runner, you have the advantage of benefiting from your body's memory to recall the good old mechanics of running. Feelings will return (more or less) quickly! 😎

Let's temper your eagerness right away: it's not reasonable to start or resume running with a ten-kilometer/6,21 milesrun. We advise you to go for a twenty-minute outing during which you can alternate between one minute of jogging and one minute of walking. Over the course of training and weeks, you can then gradually increase the time spent running, eventually being able to run without stopping! 🎉

To start running without risking injury, it is essential to adopt a progressive practice. As we mentioned, the increase in your training volume should not exceed 10 or 20% per month. We also recommend listening to your body and your sensations. If you feel any muscle, joint, or other discomfort, don't hesitate to cut your session short and consult a health professional. Strength & conditioning, stretching, and a good lifestyle (a varied and balanced diet, quality sleep, and so on) are factors you can/must adjust to preserve and optimize your recovery.

The ideal pace for starting to run is entirely yours. There's no need to compare yourself to others' rhythms; the only one that matters is yours, and that’s good: it's the only one we care about. By running faster than the speed at which you're supposed to go in base endurance (especially when you start running), you risk significant muscle fatigue from which an injury might unfortunately arise. So, let's take it easy before going all in. 💨

If you're convinced that your relationship with running is mutual (you both love each other and give back to each other), you might have thought you were the only one in the world worshipping this discipline (yes, just that)! 🤠). In the end, shortly after your first steps, you discovered that wasn't true: there are millions of us running and loving it dearly! Given the number of enthusiasts we are, imagine how endless our opportunities to make friends are. That's precisely what's great about running: even if we see each other every day without necessarily paying attention because we're busy and stressed, when we put on our shining attire and start running, a new world opens up to us. And if we engage in this physical activity alone, we suddenly discover that we are not (or no longer) alone in our solitude. There are other runners, other walkers, other passersby. There are other human beings. Running activates our soul detector, and when we don't greet them, it's often because we're busy connecting with them. We are so different yet so similar, and running reminds us of that. Besides bringing together the pieces of us that it sometimes helps mend, this sport unites us all together.

As mentioned, running opens a new eye to those around us… and also to what surrounds us. There is no better way to see than when taking the time to run and look around. We challenge you to run a familiar route that you normally take using other transportation and not spot something new. Why are we so confident? Simply because when running, our attention shifts away from driving our car, worrying about the tight schedule ahead, or fearing we'll be late for work. The superfluous drifts away with our steps, and suddenly we notice the details that have always been there but were unseen. A dog behind a fence, an elderly lady tending to her plants, or the shape of a tree trunk. In fact, there's no need to seek faraway lands for a change of scenery; sometimes it's enough to see, for the first time, what is already around us.

In a society where boredom is viewed as a waste and every part of our day is meant to be productive, facing yourself during a run isn't, a priori, the most delightful prospect. Yet, enjoying your own company says a lot about you: are you in agreement with who you are? Do you enjoy the silence around you, the one that brings you back to your own presence (yes, running is very metaphysical 🧘)? Of course, running isn't necessarily a solo activity, but if you want to rely solely on yourself to put on your sneakers, you need to learn to go without the push of a group you want to fit into. It's necessary to rely on your own momentum, your own desire to go for a run without the fact of being alone spoiling your experience. By choosing to start running, without your goals being linked to sporting performance, you give yourself a chance to prove that you are capable, just capable. Capable of sticking to a routine, capable of progressing, capable of having a head-to-head with yourself without getting bored, and enjoying it. And that is already a great victory to celebrate! 🏆

If running sends us back to our strengths, this activity also inevitably reflects our weaknesses. And thankfully so. Thankfully, because without it, we would never have the chance to transform our weaknesses into strengths and improve the latter. We think particularly about resilience in effort, when running causes discomfort and we manage to tame our limiting thoughts to push beyond physical and/or mental pain, reaching the end of our challenge (of course, we also have to listen to ourselves). How to silence that voice whispering to us to stop, right now; that what we are accomplishing is not worth it, and that our expectations won't be met anyway if we don't seize the opportunity? Failures — which are rather learnings as long as we know how to analyze them and draw constructive lessons — and disappointments guide us to our future personal victories. True success is managing to savor these with humility, being aware that today's achievements are not those of yesterday, nor necessarily those of tomorrow, and that our successes do not mark the defeats of others. 🙏

We don't provide training plans solely to prepare you for competition as our ultimate vocation. When starting running, your goal can very well be getting back in shape, easing back into running, or recreational practice. You won't be less of a runner if you choose not to compete. Keep this in mind all the time, whether you're starting or have been running for months/years. The weekend is not necessarily synonymous with competition, though it can be. Competing is an individual and respectable choice, even if it's different from ours. Similarly, when you choose to engage in competition, the distance you cover does not signify value as it increases or your time decreases: 5 kilometers/3,11 miles, 10 kilometers/6,21 miles, half-marathon, marathon, ultra-endurance, short trail, long trail, ultra-trail… Do what you wish and can do, and that's already more than enough! 😉 Running is an integral part of your life, as you are of it, no matter how you choose to experience it. The important thing is to live it. The important thing is to feel alive through it. The important thing is to be aware that you're in the right place... Perhaps it's what you felt when you started running... ? 🐣

On a lighter and more superficial note, who would have thought you'd enjoy running as much as dressing up for it? Maybe everyone (if you're in the shopaholic team), surely no one (if you're in the anti-shopping team). In any case, no one ever said that the practice of running would please your banker or your wallet, right! 💸

Running may not be the most expensive sport, but running gear represents a certain budget, more or less significant depending on your tastes and expectations. Training shoes, competition shoes (if you're a purist), GPS watch, technical clothing, audio equipment designed for your practice, competition registration fees (if you choose to race), and many others. If at first glance you feel you'll never be able to master the subject, rest assured: learning and applying running codes is quite simple and effective. Note that style has nothing to do with these codes, which primarily involve never asking someone (a tip, just between us): “how many kilometers/miles is your marathon?”, or “how many laps have you run?” (laps of what? We still wonder). In short, remember that clothes don't make the man. You'd be surprised after years of practice how we can easily be more impressed by a €300 pair of shoes than the workout plan followed by its owner. The lesson to take from all this: there's no need to be equipped from head to toe with overpriced accessories to be a runner. The reasons that make us start running should go deeper than the mere desire to parade in fancy attire (though dressing up for a run is still a slight guilty pleasure 🙈).

Yes, following a training plan that helps you progress is indeed a reason (and a good one, at that!) for starting running. Why? Simply to appreciate being well supported in your performance goals, getting back in shape, or establishing a weekly fitness routine that's tailored and adjusted to your profile and needs. Of course, we will be ultra-careful so that your beginning in the discipline happens in the best conditions: if you've never run before, you'll start with an adaptation phase alternating between walking and jogging for about 20 minutes. Then you'll discover the joy of completing a full jogging without stopping to catch your breath (though stopping to catch your breath is also quite fine!). If you wish to further improve your endurance, you'll specifically engage in base endurance workouts, and to enhance your speed, you'll perform sessions of MAS (maximal aerobic speed). In short, everything is set for your body, muscles, and mind to gradually adapt to running, making it one of your favorite well-being routines.

In addition to our custom training plans, you can also count on the Campus community: passionate people like you, eager to achieve personally within a highly motivating collective. 😍

So, whether you're starting with a simple run walk from your front door or diving straight into a running plan for long runs, remember that every step counts. It feels good to build endurance and see your progress, no matter if you're going fast or slow, aiming for a 5k 10k or just enjoying your week run. Don't forget your running shoes and a good post run routine, including dynamic stretching, to prevent injury. Even when you hit the hardest part, pushing yourself to pick up the pace will be rewarding. If you ever need motivation, joining a run club can be a game-changer.
If you (still) needed it, we sincerely hope we found the words to motivate you to lace up your sneakers, start running, and discover your physical and mental capacities. You deserve it, so give yourself the means to realize yourself partly through running. Go, go, go! 🚀