So, what are the benefits of running every day? Shock answer! You don’t have to actually run a mile or for 30 minutes every single day to reap the benefits. But running often is a good idea and we all know it has great cardiovascular health benefits.
What are the health benefits of running everyday?
Research shows that even just running up to 10 minutes every day can help reduce risk of heart attacks and strokes.
1. Improved sleep
I love my sleep, so I’m eternally grateful to the science of exercise that it helps you sleep better. It’s proven fact as well. Hopkins Medicine reference a Charlene Gamaldo, M.D. , medical director of Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep at Howard County General Hospital.
We have solid evidence that exercise does, in fact, help you fall asleep more quickly and improves sleep quality
It makes sense. When you go for a run, you give your body exercise and you use energy. So it’s tired from that exertion of energy, more so than if you’d sat down on the couch for that time instead.
My Garmin watch will tell me how well and long I’ve slept for. And I definitely notice that when I’ve been for a run, my Garmin watch will tell me I’ve had better quality sleep. It will say things like ‘Restorative’ and I’ll typically have fallen straight into the ‘deep’ sleep stage when I look at the timeline.
2. Cardiovascular health
We’re all told that running (or exercise) in general is good for your health. We’re told because it’s fact, again.
Science Direct has studies that show that just 10 minutes of exercise can reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases. How? Because you’re strengthening your heart. It’s a muscle remember. And if you’re using that muscle 1-3 times a week, even just for 20-30 minutes, science shows that will help in the long run (pun maybe intended).
3. Running can help you reduce chances of cancer
I know, it’s pretty serious. But it all makes sense. If you’re running regularly, you’re not just giving your heart the activity it needs. You regulate your hormones too, according to American Cancer Society.
The Institute of Cancer Research also has a lot to say on this. There’s all sorts of studies and research that shows us exercising, and particularly running, does help you manage your weight, for example. And so, that can mean you’re less likely to suffer with weight-related issues.
Did you know the American Cancer Society states…
5% of cancers in men and about 11% of cancers in women in the United States are linked to having excess body weight
4. Less likely to get Alzheimers
Researchers at Johns Hopkins carried out a study to understand how much of an effect running can have on the chance of you being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. And the results are…. astonishing.
They studied 90,000 adults in the UK, and included a four year follow up. They looked at what happened if you did 35 minutes of moderate exercise a week, compared to if you did absolutely none. They also looked at those who did more than that, say 140 minutes (or more) of exercise.
The results?
Dementia risks were 69% lower in the 140 minutes or more category.
Should you be running every single day?
You should be running as often as you want to! Obviously if you’re training for something like a half marathon, then you might want to be running more often throughout the week, and have a plan in place for that. Same goes for a marathon.
But if you’re new to running (or even if you’ve been doing it a while), you don’t have to run every single day. In fact, I get more enjoyment out of running when I don’t run every single day.
My body recovers better – I don’t think my gut and my muscles could cope if I did a run 7 days a week. I sometimes suffer with runner’s gut and also juggle a full time job and pet responsibilities.. I’m not an athlete. So if you’re beating yourself up because you’re not running every day… don’t!
Try running 2-3 times a week instead
Obviously, it’s really about how many times a week or a fortnight works for you to run. But you could start with trying to fit one run into your week. Pick a day, stick to it, show up for yourself. And then when you’re ready, you can build that up.
Go from running once a week to twice and then three. But please know that this takes time. I’ve been running for over 10 years; sometimes I’ve run more and sometimes less. But my maximum generally is 3 times a week, and that’s when I’m “peaking”.
In fact, Great Run talks about a medical research study from the British Medical Journal on this exact subject. And they comment this:
Research suggests running just twice per week is sufficient to see improvements in health and fitness.
So you really don’t need to be pushing your body every single day, if you don’t want to. It’s better to do something than nothing at all.
Do you need other exercises too?
Other exercises like pilates, yoga, strength training and walking can all really help give you a far more rounded approach to running. You’ll still reap the benefits of running. But adding in the others can help your muscles recover faster and build strength and flexibility in different ways.
What if I get injured running every day?
If you injure your lower body on a run, the best remedy is usually RICE. That means:
- R – Rest – Don’t run!
- I – Ice – Keep it cool so that any swelling helps to go down
- C – Compression – Get a bag of something frozen from the freezer and wrap it in a tea towel
- E – Elevation – Keep your leg lifted, so up on the couch for example
If you’ve not run for a while or you’ve overdone it, I usually find ‘RICE’ fixes things soon enough. And then when you’re ready to get back to it, you can do so with care. Don’t jump into a half marathon straight after recovery!
If you’re concerned, contact your health care professional.
What are the benefits of running 30 minutes everyday?
You can run for 30 minutes every day and you’ll be in better shape fitness wise if you do that for a few weeks. You’ll also sleep better from the physical exercise and you’ll feel sharper mentally too, especially short term. But you don’t need to run for half an hour every single day. And it’s probably worth asking why you want to do that because you’re at a higher risk of injuring yourself.
Throwing yourself in at the commitment of running for 30 minutes every day is a big challenge if you’ve not really run much before. And you don’t necessarily need to. You could run for 30 or 40 minutes twice a week, or even less if you’re a beginner at running. Or if you prefer, run shorter times every day and see how you feel.
But I would definitely recommend making sure you’re looking after yourself if you are running that often:
- Wearing the right running shoes – neutral or stability shoes? Or cross training shoes?
- Stretching properly before and after you run
- The right running clothes
- Eating correctly before you run
Should you run every day?
I’d always advise speaking to a healthcare professional before you embark on a huge physical challenge because you want to avoid any injuries, especially if you’re on any medication or anything like that. But in my experience, you’ll get more benefits from not running every day.
Instead, just start incorporating running into your weekly schedule. You could do the couch to 10k. You could start trying to improve your 5K pace. You could even plan ahead and train yourself up for a half marathon (but I wouldn’t do a half marathon without training!).
How to run every day
If you’re set on running every single day, this is a very rough guideline of how I’d go about it:
You’ll need:
Running gear
Shoes, running top, leggings, comfy socks and sports bra.
I’d always wear headphones too – can’t beat a motivational running music playlist!
Weekly plan
Decide how many far or long you want to run for every day. If you’re new to this, I’d maybe start really small with a 10 minute run or less. And then note down what your plan is for that week. Again, a couch to 10k plan can be helpful here. They’re literally designed to go from zero to something great, without the injuries!
Written by Katie McDonald, 11th November 2024, Updated, 25th April 2025.
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