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Running at night has been in the limelight since scientists uncovered its benefits.
We believed that only morning time is best for running–that’s not true anymore. Morning running has many benefits. But some people can’t avail them due to their busy schedules. And here, running at night comes in the role. For anyone who can’t run in the day due to the time scarcity, night running can help them.
But there are some doubts about night running that many people have. We have created this article to help you out, keeping that in mind. Just stick to the end of this article to know every vital thing about night running.
Running At Night — Is It Worth It Or Not?
One word answer – Yes!
According to science, running at night has a lot of benefits. It helps you sleep better, inclines you towards healthy eating, makes running more accessible, etc.
Many people used to believe that intense exercise at night can interrupt sleep. But that is not necessarily true. A researcher named Shawn Youngsted has stated that exercise at night has enhanced sleep quality in many cases.
A study conducted by the University Of Carolina discovered that around 97 percent of the people who participated in night running experienced a high quality sleep.
Most people who run at night have experienced that it makes them feel running faster than usual. This makes you feel at ease and allows you to run without discomfort.
University of Essex Researchers have also discovered that many people feel they are running seamlessly at night. This doesn’t only happen while running, but during other activities too—for example, cycling, hiking, etc.
The main reseason behind this easiness is less distraction. Another reason can be the lack of light which causes everything to seem closer to you, making it difficult to measure the distance.
In conclusion, running at night is worth it for the people who find it hard to run in the morning.
But, my friend, it’s not that simple. Running at night provides many benefits, no doubt. But it has some disadvantages too and ignoring them can create problems. However, you don’t have to worry because we will help you with some solutions and tips.
Tremendous Benefits Of Running At Night
Here are the night-running benefits that many people have experienced.
Reduced Stress
According to WebMD, running helps you provide a short-term feeling of relief. Running causes increased blood circulation in your brain’s part linked with stress anxiety. It improves the mood and makes you feel calm, relaxed, and satisfied.
It doesn’t matter how bad your day was. Ending your day with running can bring you closer to calmness.
Studies have also shown that running can be the best friend for people suffering from mental health issues as it produces similar effects to medications. That’s why many psychiatrists recommend running along with the therapy.
Makes You More Inclined Towards Healthy Eating
When you know that you have to go for a run at night, you won’t eat anything interrupting your running session. You will try avoiding heavy fry and junk foods as they can make you feel heavy while running.
You will also get the feeling of eating right. Because you will see that you are putting efforts in the running to make your health better, which makes you go like, “why not eat healthy food too?”
This has happened to me many times, and many other people have experienced it. What about you? Tell us in the comment section.
Running At Night Becomes Easy
In a study, participants found running becomes more accessible and effective at night than in the daytime. According to Night Tech Gear, running at night can result in your body’s reactive and automatic state, making running effortless.
So, if you find it challenging to run in the daytime, then night running can be a good option for you.
It Serves You With Fewer Distractions
You encounter the very least distractions at night. The nighttime is primarily quiet; most people stay at home, and cars are very few. This gives you a sense of peacefulness and helps you focus on your running in a better way.
You Get More Time To Prepare For The Run
Let’s accept it. Many people find it challenging to prepare for a run in the early morning. But, when you are a night runner, you get plenty of time to prepare your body to run. For example, you will feed your body with the right food that aids you while running.
You Will Have Fewer Excuses
Let’s accept it. There can be many things in the morning that can resist you from heading toward a run–for example, that snooze button. So many people hit it and procrastinate their running session. Should I count you in them too? Haha, just kidding!
Night running comes with no excuses, at least excuses, which helps maintain consistency.
A Better Sleep
Many researchers have confessed that night running comes along with quality sleep.
If you struggle with sleeping, running at night may help you. Many people think that exercising at night may boost the endorphins, which may not let them sleep, but that’s not true. According to a study, many participants experienced a deep sleep after intense exercise at night.
If you still have doubts, you can even try it yourself and select the running time accordingly.
Better Weather
Many runners have confessed that night provides them with cooler weather, which helps them run comfortably. Go for the night runs if you can’t bear the heat.
There Are Some Disadvantages As Well
Night Running Comes With Darkness
Darkness can create a lot of problems for you. For example, it may reduce visibility, and due to that, you may step on a hole or even encounter hanging branches.
Criminal Are Active At Night
As we already know, criminals are most active at night, which increases the chance of encountering one. If you are running in an area known for criminals, try avoiding that and get a running partner if possible.
You Cannot Join The Happy Hours.
The night is when most family members and coworkers spend quality time with each other and share joy. You may miss out on this as you have to go for your running session.
But, most likely, these things won’t even matter to enthusiast runners as they will find joy in running in itself.
Some Tips To Keep In Mind While Running At Night
Here are some tips to enhance your night running experience without significant problems.
- Buy Yourself a headlamp – As we mentioned before that, visibility can be a problem at night, so to solve that up–a headlamp takes entry. It can help you ditch the road holes, hanging branches, etc. Anyone who wants to run at night — a headlamp is a must-go.
- Say no to the Dark clothes – Dark clothes are slightly challenging to see, so try to avoid wearing them. And, go for the light ones like white.
- Avoid using headphones – Wearing headphones snatches away the ability to hear correctly. You won’t be able to hear the horns and any danger coming your way. That’s why you should avoid headphones. But, if you can not go without them, make sure the volume is low, and you can listen to the outside world.
- Get yourself a partner – Having a partner can be highly beneficial as you both can easily tackle the problems that occur in the way. But, if you cannot find a partner, make sure you always inform someone before going to the run. Also, carry your mobile so that you can call your known ones whenever it’s needed.
- Change your route frequently – It will help avoid the attackers who watch runners’ routes to attack them. Changing your route will also be like a refreshing new experience for you. Keep in mind: It’s good to take a route where most people prefer going through–it would be a safe option.
That’s it. You are good to go for your night run.
Can Running at Night Beat The Benefits Of The Morning Running?
Generally, running has so many benefits and, it doesn’t matter at what time you do it. But morning running has some advantages that may beat night running.
Morning running has many benefits as it gives you a fantastic boost to start your day, peaks the metabolism, burns the calories fast, and many more.
If you want to lose weight or want an energetic start to the day, morning running will be best for you.
But, if you are someone with a shortage of time and don’t have any specific goal like losing weight, then running at night will work fine for you.
Final Thoughts
Running at night has multiple benefits, but the main problem is — safety.
Many experts have neglected night running because of the same reason. But, if you enjoy running at night, then nothing can stop you. Just follow all the tips we mentioned above, and you are ready for a seamless run.
