Regardless of your motivation for running, this simple exercise can lead to a number of health benefits you might not have expected. Many people associate running with fat loss, but this activity is also adept at toning your muscles.

Nothing can take the pep out of your stride when running like a muscle injury. Pain in your adductor muscles, or groin area, during or after a run can indicate a strained groin and can stop you in your tracks.

As defined by Drugs.com, phlegm is a type of mucus, traditionally expelled from the mouth. While phlegm can be undesirable at any time, it is especially distressing during a run.

Pain on the inside of the ankle likely results from an overuse injury called tibialis posterior syndrome. In rarer cases, an acute injury can cause a tear.

Every woman's menstrual cycle has a different biological timetable, and for most women, this timetable should be fairly consistent. If you have recently begun a new exercise regimen or have consistently worked out over an extended period of time, you may have noticed a change in your menstrual cycle.

Runners usually have no equipment other than their shoes and clothing, which makes choosing the right pair of running shorts especially important.

Running on the treadmill can help you burn calories, lose weight, improve your cardiovascular health and increase your endurance. It can also lead to sharp pain in your shins with each step. If no other injury has been sustained in that area, pain in your shins when running is usually the result of shin splits.

Several steps may be taken to help you overcome an injury to your meniscus and safely return to running.

To lose weight, many people turn to running. Running offers dieters the ability to burn a greater number of calories in a shorter amount of time. For instance a 145 lb. person running a moderate pace of 10 mph for 30 minutes burns approximately 574 calories.

When 25-year-old British medical student Roger Bannister barely broke the elusive four-minute mile barrier in 1954, he set the sports world on fire. Fast forward 56 years and former Moroccan runner Hicham El Guerrouj has the world record of 3:43.

If you are experiencing any type of chest tightness or discomfort, especially during physical activity such as running, it should be taken seriously. In rare cases, chest tightness can be the sign of a life-threatening condition that needs immediate medical attention.

As a runner, your quads, calves and hamstrings may be powerful, but you are lacking buns of steel. A common ailment among even the fastest of runners is that the stronger muscles of the legs fire, but the glutes just come along for the ride. Ideally, your glutes should stabilize the pelvis.