You can hurt yourself running, but the benefits are greater than the risks. The benefits of running include possible loss of weight, better heart health, greater muscle mass, more bone density and a greater sense of well being. Having a constant plan for running can make HDL levels rise, decreasing the chance of heart disease. Running, as with any type of ongoing exercise, can successfully slow or undo the signs of aging.

Running can get help individuals drop pounds and get into better shape. The best speeds and distances are determined based on the health and fitness level of each individual. It takes a while to get fit when you first start running. An increase that is slow, in distance and speed, is the key. Being aware of how one's body feels while running is quite important. If running causes one to become winded or exhausted, it may be wise to run at a slower pace or for a shorter distance for a couple of weeks. If the runner thinks that the pace or length isn't challenging any more, then he or she might want to run faster or run a greater distance.

There are psychological advantages to running, because a lot of people who take part in sports say they feel happy, usually known as a "runner's high". A commonly publicized effect of endorphin is the famous "runner's high", which is said to happen when strenuous exercise takes an individual over a level that activates endorphin production. During extended workouts endorphins are released, when the intensity level is in the middle of moderate and high, with it being hard to breathe. This is also the approximate time in which the muscles deplete the stored glycogen.

It has been said that endorphins, which are hormones, control this effect, since it is known that the body makes and disperses hormones as a reaction to engaging in this sport. As a matter of fact, running is normally suggested as therapy for those who are dealing with addiction or suffering from clinical depression.

Testing of animals has found that running raises the amount of new neurons created in the brain. What we know about memory and learning, as well as aging, could be rethought based on these findings.