Of course, I do it for the many health benefits. It's the best way to get the heart pumping, it prevents osteoarthritis (the most common form of arthritis), heart disease, diabetes, raises my good cholesterol levels and boosts my immunity to colds and viruses.
As I'm running the Brighton Marathon to raise funds for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, I was delighted to learn that the National Cancer Institute reports that women who reported the highest levels of "vigorous activities" (running certainly counts as vigorous) had about a 30% lower risk of breast cancer than women who do no "vigorous activities".
The benefits are not just physical. They are also emotional and mental as exercise is three times more efficient than rest at reducing anxiety. I never think as clearly as when I'm out in the park, jogging in the fresh air. I've solved so many problems by just going for a run that I truly think my life would have turned out to be quite different had I not been a runner.
Basically, running is the best thing I can do for myself. And now it's also the best thing I've ever done for others as my fundraising started last week. I've had my first donation! Albeit, it's from my lovely dad, but who better than family to get you started?
Photo: Madeleine Waller
About Me
- Martine Rouleau
- Martine Rouleau is a lecturer and freelance curator. She completed a PhD at the London Consortium and her research interests pertain to the negotiation of the boundaries of public art institutions and their repercussions on the production and the reception of art. She lectures in the Arts Policy and Management department of Birkbeck College and Goldsmiths College and has curated events and exhibitions at Tate, at the Institute of Contemporary Arts and with the Brighton Photo Fringe. She is also a regular contributor to www.aqnb.com and esse magazine.
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