The question of the health benefits of trail running is a topic that doesn’t lend itself to a straightforward and categorical answer. It’s a nuanced discussion with various factors at play. Like any sports or outdoor activity, trail running is of course good for your health if you practice in a measured and thoughtful way.
However, like any sport when taken to extremes, trail running carries inherent risks. This is particularly true for people who disregard safety protocols or attempt to push their limits without undergoing proper and progressive training. Trail running also involves some dangers and injuries that are linked to shocks and muscle strain, and sometimes comes from inadequate equipment.
Beyond these trail accidents, trail running can be highly beneficial for your health if you practice in good conditions, follow our instructions, and equip yourself with the right equipment.
Six Health Benefits of Trail Running
Let’s see six distinct health benefits that trail running can offer for overall well-being, one by one:
1. Muscle strengthening
Trail running requires a great muscular commitment and good qualities of proprioception. It strengthens the same muscles as used in road running, but also uses small stabilizing muscles. Trail running performance on the lateral movements and in the body’s balance. Therefore, all the deep muscles of the thighs, abdominals and lower back are simultaneously strengthened along with the foot and ankle.
2. Improved balance and proception
Trail running requires runners to constantly and quickly adjust their support in rough terrain. This strengthens the knowledge of balance and improves the feeling of the ground. The stabilizing muscles, foot, and ankles come out improved in agility and strength after trail running sessions.
3. Respite in the joints
This is not a widely used notion, but trail running places less strain on the kneecaps and hips than road racing. The softer surface of the trails absorbs more shock and then relieves the joints. This can be beneficial for those prone to joint discomfort or injuries.
4. A good cardio workout
Not only the trail running good for the heart if it is practiced at a correct pace and adapted to its physical condition, but it is also a training that brings strength and tone. As hill training is good for your property, a course with elevation is also good for improving your cardiac performance.
5. A bowl of oxygen
This is not the only sport to offer clean air, but the framework of most trails is really favorable for the oxygenation of your body. Most of the time, you are far from all roads and all sources of pollution and if you are not at a very high altitude, you enjoy pure air loaded with oxygen!
6. An anti-stress feeling
Playing sports in freedom and a pure beautiful environment is an antidote to gloom and relief from stress. By trailering on steep paths and in somewhat isolated regions, you clear your head of all worries and gloomy ideas. You load up with endorphins and positive and motivating images more easily to forget the worries of everyday life. In the long term, trail running is as good for the head as it is for the body. And it is not insignificant for health.
Tips for Avoid Dangers of Trail Running
Now let’s see the dangers and how to avoid them while starting trail running…
Go beyond your limits
As with all sports and competition, emulation and the desire to surpass yourself can push everyone to go too far. While these intentions are laudable, they are often dangerous, especially in a somewhat extreme sport such as trail running. As in many mass events open to everyone, often participants are not sufficiently prepared and trained. Or, they embark on challenges that are not within their reach.
In these cases, it is often serious but foreseeable health accidents can occur: muscle damage, distress situations, or heart problems for the most serious.
Trail running is not a trivial sport
Trail running is a great outdoor practice, often alone, and can cause dramatic emergencies. Indeed, it is crucial to approach this sport with a medically supervised plan and to train under the guidance of experienced people.
It is also essential to go gradually in the difficulty level and to align only on the tests that are accessible.
If you are just starting out, ask for advice from people who have already practiced or from clubs that can guide you in your choices and your training.
Overtraining
Even the most seasoned athletes can find themselves in situations of over-training. Sometimes programs are too focused and too busy to achieve a goal or to come back faster after a period of downtime.
Overtraining can lead to deep muscle fatigue, which leads to weakening in the face of various injuries. Overtraining can also lower your immune system and make you more vulnerable to germs and viruses. Finally, it can have a negative effect on morale and lead to depressive episodes.
Remember to get in touch with a sports coach or a specialized trainer who can build personalized programs adapted to your situation. And above all, do not think that it is always by doing more that we improve in the sport. Proper and well-dosed training is often preferable to improve performance and achieve reasonable goals.
Falls and other accidents
Like all outdoor sports, trail running involves a small risk of accidents. They are often the result of falls, uncontrolled slips, or collisions with stones or roots. Most of these accidents are annoying in the middle of an ordeal or training. But they are not very serious. Few of them endanger the life of runners.
Fractures, sprains or strains can occur, and the difficulty often arises from their occurrence in a relatively isolated environment with no nearby assistance.
When it’s a well-organized event, it shouldn’t be too much problem because other competitors can help. But when you’re alone in training, it can be tricky. It is therefore essential to always have a smartphone with a full battery (or even a backup one) and the emergency numbers recorded.
Muscle injuries
This is a common problem for trail runners regardless of the coating. There are no more muscle injuries in trail running than in road racing or elsewhere.
There are of course muscle injuries due to physical conditions. But most of them are the result of poor movement, faulty or unsuitable equipment (shoes), or modified running technique. Progressive drop shoe solutions can be an excellent remedy for regaining a natural stride less prone to accidents and muscle damage. Compression clothes are also great for avoiding micro lesions and facilitating recovery.
By combining these aids with adapted training and controlled hygiene of life, you will put all the chances on your side to avoid problems with the muscles in trail running.
Conclusion
Exercising or outing is always good for your health and trail running is no exception to this universal rule. On the health side, trail running reduces the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. On a daily basis, your digestion will be improved… Running increases the rate at which food is metabolized by the body. In other words, the trailer stays younger longer.
So what are you waiting for to get started?
Don’t forget to carry basic safety equipment and follow the instructions I mentioned above.
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