What Happens To Your Body When You Run 1 Mile Every Day For 30 Days?

What happens to your body when you run 1 mile every day for 30 days? Find out below.

Before we begin, 1 mile is the same as 1.6 kilometres. And that might seem easy, right? I mean, 1 mile is practically nothing. But there is a small twist to this.

It isn’t about only running 1 mile every day for 30 days, but rather running that 1 mile as fast as possible every day for 30 days. Okay, now you see the challenge ahead, right? And who decided to do this so you don’t have to? Laurie Shaw.

Laurie Shaw is a content creator who set out on a journey to try new things for 30 days every month. He posts videos on his YouTube channel about his achievements which has almost 100k subscribers now.

It all began when Shaw did one of his challenges, and a brutal one, that involved running: the hero CrossFit Murph.

In case you don’t know, the Murph workout is:

• 1 mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 300 air squats
• 1 mile run

And all that while wearing a weighted vest. Not easy right? So yes, Laurie Shaw apparently ran a 5’30’’ mile during his Murph challenge, but people didn’t believe it. So he decided to run 1 mile every day for 30 days and catalogue his progression during the course of that journey.

Read More: 6 Exercises to Help You Run Faster

What Happens To Your Body When You Run 1 Mile Every Day For 30 Days?

So, Laurie Shaw decided to run as fast as possible 1 mile every day for 30 days to see how his body would change and react to it. He says, at the beginning of a video he shared, that he is fit, but not “running fit,” as he hasn’t done any type of running in the past three months – although he did finish a marathon just before that.

So he is not a professional runner, but he is not a beginner either. And his goal is to break that coveted 5 minutes and 30 seconds when finishing running 1 mile.

The first week was “brutal,” as Shaw was floored every time after finishing that 1 mile stretch. Sometimes his time would even go backwards after a few days.

Source: RUN 4 FFWPU / Pexels

Slowly, but surely, he began feeling comfortable with the burning sensation in his lungs and legs. And if you want to break your record, you need to push more and more. “It never got easier.” And he started enjoying it (at least sometimes).

By day 19 he ran a mile in 5 minutes and 48 seconds. A bit more than halfway and his goal became “achievable,” as he puts it. He got a few setbacks the days following, but by day 24 he got even closer to his goal with a 5’38’’ mile.

After 30 days, he didn’t manage to crack the 5’30’’ mark. His closest was 5’37’’.

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After researching more, Shaw believes he reached a plateau when it comes to running fast. In the beginning, he cut off 20 seconds, sometimes 30 from one day to the next. But after a while, he was fighting for just a couple of seconds and couldn’t manage.

In his words, to break the 5’30’’ mile, he would have to improve his foot technique and breathing technique.

The biggest change he felt, besides getting fitter, was feeling a love for running. “I used to, seriously, not enjoy it.” The pain, at the end of the tunnel, became something he could live with and even enjoy it at some moments “because I know it is doing something to my body a world of good.”

In the end, he knocked off 1 minute and 35 seconds from his 1-mile run over a 30-day period. “I’m certainly fitter and faster than when I started and I’ve developed a newfound love with running.”

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Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

Running every day can bring a variety of physical and mental benefits, including:

1. Improved cardiovascular health: Running is a great way to increase your heart rate and improve your cardiovascular fitness. Regular running can strengthen your heart, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease.
2. Weight loss and maintenance: Running is an effective way to burn calories and lose weight. Consistent running can also help you maintain a healthy weight.
3. Increased muscle strength and tone: Running can help build and tone your leg muscles, as well as your core and upper body muscles.
4. Improved bone density: Running is a weight-bearing exercise that can help increase bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
5. Reduced stress and improved mood: Running releases endorphins, which can boost your mood and reduce stress levels. Regular running can also help you sleep better and feel more energized during the day.
6. Increased mental clarity and focus: Running can improve cognitive function, including memory, attention, and decision-making skills.
7. Improved immune system function: Regular exercise, including running, can boost your immune system and help prevent illness.

It’s important to note that running every day can also increase the risk of injury, especially if you don’t give your body enough time to recover. It’s a good idea to alternate running with other types of exercise, and to take rest days to allow your body to recover.

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