The top 10 running questions on Google, answered

It used to be that if you had a question about running, you went to a coach, another more experienced runner, a physiotherapist or a doctor. Today, of course, you do what any logical person does when they have a question about a topic: consult Google. As running has grown in popularity over the last several years, more and more people are typing their biggest questions about the sport into that search bar, and today we’ve rounded up the top 10 most frequently asked questions about running on Google so that you don’t have to. Many of these questions seem like logical things to ask, but some of them may surprise you.

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Is running good for you?

Running comes with so many benefits to your physical, mental and emotional health. Physically, running strengthens your bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. It also improves your heart health, which lowers your risk for a variety of health issues like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Running has also been shown to improve your mental health by decreasing stress and even improving brain function. So yeah, we may be biased, but running is very good for you.

Is running good for weight loss?

A lot of people choose to start running in order to lose weight, and this makes sense, given that running does burn a lot of calories. Recently this way of thinking was turned on its head when a scientist from Duke University in North Carolina determined that running was not, in fact, very helpful when it comes to dropping pounds. Of course, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, since, as we mentioned, running has so many other health benefits, but if weight loss is your primary reason for laces up your sneakers, we suggest picking something else to motivate you instead.

Is running bad for your knees?

For a long time, running was considered to be bad for your knees, and for good reason — a lot of runners do struggle with knee injuries. In fact, it’s so common that the most frequent knee issue that affects runners, called patellofemoral pain syndrome, is informally known as runner’s knee. A 2019 study debunked this myth, and found that the majority of runners’ knees were in good condition. Then, in 2020, a second study found that running can actually improve the health of the cartilage in your knees. Many of the knee issues runners experience (including runner’s knee) is actually caused by muscle imbalances or tightness in other areas of the body, and can be fixed with a bit of rest and physio.

Is running every day good for you?

This answer is a little less straightforward. How much run volume is appropriate depends on the individual, how much they’ve already been running, their injury status and many other factors. Runs streaks (when you run every day for several days, weeks, months or even years) have grown in popularity recently, but they’re not necessarily right for everyone. How much and how often you run is highly dependent on how well you’re able to recover, so listen to your body and take a day off when you need it.

Is running in the cold bad for you?

In short, no, but there are some extra precautions you should take in the winter. These include dressing appropriately to stay warm (hello, layers), doing a proper warm-up indoors so you’re not starting your run with cold muscles and paying attention to weather conditions to know when you’re better off staying inside.

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Is running in the cold bad for your lungs?

Again, no. Sometimes the cold air can be quite dry and it may irritate your lungs a little, which could leave you coughing for a few minutes after your run, but other than being uncomfortable, it won’t cause any real damage to your lungs. To avoid cold-weather coughing, wear a balaclava or some type of mask over your mouth to humidify the air that you’re breathing.

Is running in the winter bad for you?

Slippery conditions and poor visibility can make running dangerous in the winter, so pay attention to the conditions and don’t go out when it isn’t safe to do so. For everything else, refer to question five.

Is running better than running?

OK, so this one had us confused, too. No, that is not our typo, that is a legitimate question that apparently thousands of people have typed into Google. We think that what these people meant to say was is running better than jogging or walking. Either way, this depends on your goals. There is plenty of research to back up the importance of easy days, and jogging or slower running plays an important role in any running program. If running isn’t your thing, walking is also a good form of physical activity, and while it is lower-intensity, it also comes with a whole host of benefits.

Is running good exercise?

Again, we might be biased, but we have plenty of science to back us up on this — running is, in fact, good exercise. As with anything, there is a point of diminishing returns, and without proper recovery it is possible to overdo it. This could result in injuries, decreased mood, burnout and other health issues, but if you listen to your body and rest when you need to, running is a great way to strengthen your body and stay in shape.

Is running 5K every day too much?

If you’ve never run, then yes, running 5K every day may be a bit much. If you’re feeling sore or are dealing with a nagging injury, it may also be too much. If you’re just starting out, remember to build up your weekly mileage gradually, and runners of all experience levels should take a day off if their bodies need it.

Bonus question: are runners better in bed?

We’ll let you do your own field research.

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