The spine is our body’s central support from which many parts of our muscles and joints are connected. It involved in a variety of our daily movements such as standing, sitting, walking, bending and twisting. It is important that we can all do these movements, therefore we need to take the health of our spine seriously.
Today we will be diving into why running is important in spine health. While we all know that running is helpful to the health of our hearts, bones, joints and provides overall stress relief, it also has amazing benefits for the spine in particular.
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Improved Bone density
According to Wolfe’s Law, the bones in healthy people or animals will adapt to the loads placed on it through reformation to help cope with that stress. Running places a downward load on the spine and as a result the body has to adapt. The process by which bone is renewed and repaired is called ossification. This not only applies to the spine but all our other bones too!
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Healthier Disks
Our intervertebral disks are the “cushions” between our vertebrae. These help with shock absorption, weight distribution and our general daily movements. The disks allow our spines to move as individual segments, much like cups stacked on one another. Running is associated with improved disk composition as it provides loading on the appropriate tissues. It also improves the hydration of the disks and helps prevent degeneration.
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Muscle strengthening
There is a vast network of muscles around the spine from small stability muscles, to larger ones which allow and control movement. It is essential that these function optimally to provide proper support to the spine.
For some, running may seem like a chore, while for others it is a lifestyle. Nonetheless, we could all benefit from including some running in our daily activities because of all it has to offer!
