When you think of a runner’s body, you probably think of a certain body type: long, lean, and leggy. However, runners come in as many sizes and shapes as everyone else, and each body will respond in its own way to training.
Even at the elite level, a sprinter’s body is going to look different from a marathoner’s body, and a sprinter’s training will look very different from that of a distance runner.
Add the myriad fitness runners, bucket list marathoners, and people just trying to increase their endurance or burn a few calories, and you’ve got a wide range of silhouettes — all of which should be considered “runners’ bodies.”
That said, building a running habit will make an impact on your body, often in unexpected ways. Below, we’ll look at the ways running can change your body — inside and out — when you begin to take it seriously.
Here are 9 things running does for (and to) your body:
