What Happens to Your Body When You Run Every Week

I thought that the only type of running I’d ever do was running from my problems. OK, all jokes aside, I’m also someone who has type 1 diabetes, so I’ve always had a roller-coaster relationship with exercise in general (my body doesn’t produce insulin, so I have to take supplemental insulin, and physical activity can make it more potent, and that could lead to a lethal overdose).

Still, I have to work out to stay healthy overall and support healthy aging—plus, I’d always wanted to conquer a 5K. So I signed up for a race and part-challenged, part-forced myself into becoming a runner.

Meet the experts: Tabthea Lomo, a certified personal trainer in Washington; Claudette Sariya, N.A.S.M.-C.P.T.; Claudette Sariya, N.A.S.M.-C.P.T., a personal trainer, fitness coach, founder of Asian Women Stay Running.

I didn’t follow any fancy training plan. I just got out there and hit the pavement (or the treadmill on bad weather days) every single week. Here’s what happened to my body when I ran every week.

I eased into it with slower walk-runs on the treadmill for 20 minutes. Then, I added another day of the same exercise. Before I knew it, I started adding more minutes of running than walking, and soon was able to make it the whole 20 minutes of running without stopping to walk at all. At that point, I began upping my time to 30 minutes, and it was at this point that I saw a true difference in my body.

At first, I felt sore and a bit, well, worse for wear (spoiler alert, I still do from time to time!). “Running can be a shock to your body at first. The heart begins to work harder, the lungs are learning to keep up with your breathing, and the legs and core are adjusting to this extra demand,” says Tabthea Lomo, a certified personal trainer in Washington. “The first few runs should feel tough; however, endurance builds fast, so consistency is key. Remaining consistent will help you breathe easier and recover quicker after each run.”

Claudette Sariya, N.A.S.M.-C.P.T., a personal trainer, fitness coach, and founder of Asian Women Stay Running in New York City, agrees. “When you start running, your entire body begins to wake up. At first, your run will feel hard—trust me, every one of my first miles feels like an uphill battle—but then by the second mile, you’ll be warmed up and ready to take on the rest of your run,” she says.

But for a newbie runner like me, hitting the second mile was a journey. It took commitment, learning the importance of stretching, and the right gear (I now have a running belt to hold my diabetes supplies in case of emergency, hard-core running bras to contain the bouncing, and great workout shorts).

A well-rounded exercise routine should include cardio (like running, walking, or cycling) and strength training, which combine to support so many aspects of good overall health and healthy aging—no matter how old you happen to be right now. Here are some health benefits of running:

May Lower Blood Sugar

So—this comes with a huge caveat: Everybody is different. As a type 1 insulin-dependent diabetic, I’ve found my insulin needs decrease on my run days—and even for a day after. When I run two to three times a week, clocking anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 miles, I’ve found that on the whole, my blood sugar average comes down on the run days a significant amount (I wear a continuous glucose monitor that backs up this finding).

Boosts Heart Health

Running is one of those habits that pays off in every aspect, including when it comes to protecting your ticker. Physically, it makes your heart stronger, explains Lomo. Sariya explains this a bit more: “As you begin to run more regularly, you’ll notice that your resting heart rate may decrease after several weeks. This is because your blood stroke volume is improving and your heart is getting stronger. Your entire cardiovascular system will level up, and you’ll have more energy to spare. Remember the cell’s powerhouse organelle? The mitochondria? Your body will start making more of those too!”

Builds Muscle

Lomo also says that running helps build muscle. A 2017 study backs this up, after following college-aged participants who performed HIIT-type of running for weeks, and finding that their muscle fiber volume increased 11%. But more research is needed to find out whether other forms of running would warrant this level of results.

Improves Stamina

Sariya says this is key, and I’ve reaped this benefit (arguably, it’s the most rewarding one I’ve found). I’ve found that my heart rate is lower on the whole—while resting, walking, etc. Good stamina supports various aspects of heart health, such as supporting healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels, according to Cleveland Clinic.

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Supports Healthy Bones

Lomo says that running can help promote or improve bone strength. In one small 2019 study that compared marathon runners to non-marathon runners, scientists found that the marathon running group had stronger biochemical markers involved in the formation of bones. But more research is needed on the subject.

Relieves Stress

This benefit is the one that propelled me into the exercise in the first place. “That ‘runner high’ you hear about is very real,” says Lomo. “It will also likely result in better sleep, more energy during the day, and a big confidence boost from seeing what your body can actually do when you put it to the test.”

After figuring out how to breathe while jogging (which, honestly, is still a work in progress), I’ve finally discovered this peaceful nothingness in my head with every strike of the pavement or treadmill belt.

Helps With Healthy Weight Maintenance

I’ve burned more calories running than I have in the same amount of time spent walking or cycling, and research supports my experience. If you’re more of a walker (or wannabe runner, like I was at the start of this experiment!), walking helps with weight loss or healthy weight maintenance too.

Experts say that there aren’t many downsides, as long as you prepare properly and go in with a plan. Of course, if your doctor has said that you shouldn’t run, don’t—instead, ask them for tips on safely boosting the effort of your workouts. Personally, some of the (mostly temporary) downsides I experienced were sore muscles, cracking joints, low blood sugars, and pain from old injuries resurfacing.

The key is to give yourself grace and ease into running so that you don’t hurt yourself.

While running may not be for everyone, anyone can become a runner. My journey is ongoing, but not only has it given me loads of physical benefits (weight loss, stronger muscles, and increased stamina, to name a few), but it’s also given me the confidence to try new things and learn that my chronic illness does not need to keep me from challenging myself.

If you want to supercharge your exercise routine or simply want a new challenge to tackle, give running a try.