Why You Should Add Running to Your Gym Routine

If you already hit the gym regularly, you’re probably reaping the rewards of your workouts. But if running isn’t yet part of your fitness routine — whether it’s on the treadmill or out on the roads — you might be missing out on some powerful benefits. Adding running to your gym workout can not only elevate your fitness levels but also help with mental health, endurance, and even your motivation to keep moving.

Full-Body Cardiovascular Benefits

Running is one of the most effective ways to strengthen your heart and lungs. While lifting weights builds muscle strength and size, running improves your cardiovascular endurance — making your heart more efficient at pumping blood and oxygen throughout your body. This boosts overall stamina, meaning you’ll recover faster between sets in the gym and be able to handle more intense workouts without feeling gassed.

Plus, because running is a weight-bearing exercise, it also helps to build bone density, protecting you against osteoporosis later in life.

Mental Health and Stress Relief

Exercise of any kind is great for your mind, but running holds a special place in the mental health world. Known as a natural mood booster, running helps your body release endorphins, sometimes called “runner’s high.” Whether you're pounding out a few quick miles on the treadmill after lifting or jogging outside in the fresh air, running can help clear your mind, reduce stress, and even combat anxiety and depression.

Outside running especially has the added benefit of exposure to nature, which studies have shown can further enhance feelings of well-being and lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

Boosts Fat Loss and Improves Metabolism

If one of your gym goals is weight loss or fat burning, running can give you an extra edge. Running burns more calories per minute than many other forms of exercise. Incorporating steady-state runs, interval sprints, or hill workouts into your routine can help create a bigger caloric deficit, leading to faster fat loss when combined with good nutrition.

Even short treadmill sprints at the end of your strength session — sometimes called a “finisher” — can spike your heart rate, rev up your metabolism, and extend the calorie-burning effect for hours after you leave the gym.

Increases Workout Variety and Prevents Plateaus

Doing the same workouts over and over can lead to plateaus — both physically and mentally. By adding running into the mix, you introduce a new stimulus to your body. It challenges different muscle groups, improves your coordination and agility, and keeps your mind engaged by switching up the routine. Whether you’re running intervals on a treadmill, trying a scenic route outside, or doing a casual jog to cool down after lifting, mixing it up keeps things fresh.

The Motivation Boost of Signing Up for a Race

One of the best ways to stay consistent with your running (and overall fitness) is to give yourself a tangible goal: sign up for a race. Whether it's a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or even a fun mud run, having a date on the calendar can be a huge motivator. Training for a race provides structure to your workouts, gives you a reason to push through the days you don't feel like running, and offers an incredible sense of achievement once you cross that finish line.

Even if you never considered yourself "a runner," you might be surprised at how a race transforms your mindset. It’s not about winning — it’s about showing up for yourself, sticking to a plan, and seeing what you're capable of.

A group of us have signed up for the Lucky Horseshoe Half Marathon at

Bury St Edmunds on the Saturday 20th September. Just speak to one of us if you’d like to join the fun!