Health by the numbers

I've blogged about how much I love running. It gives me energy, makes me feel happy, and gives me a body I feel great about. But what about my overall health?

I get annual well woman exams, and I get blood work before the appointment. I got my blood work done last week, and my appointment was yesterday. Of course the nurse takes my pulse and blood pressure at the appointment too. I was excited to see how my numbers had changed since last year.

Compared to last year, my diet may be slightly healthier, but I think it's mostly the same. I do eat less than I did a year ago, but that's because I was still breastfeeding Zoodle then. The biggest change has been in my fitness. For 7 months I've been running three days a week, and I've also recently been doing strengthening exercises at home. What difference has that made?

Blood pressure:
2009: 102/72
2010: 96/64

Pulse:
2009: 80 bpm
2010: 72 bpm

Glucose:
2009: 87 mg/dl
2010: 70 mg/dl

Lipid panel:
Cholesterol (C); Triglycerides (T); HDL (H); LDL (L); Risk ratio LDL/LDL (R)
2009: C 169; T 50; H 55; L 104; R 1.89
2010: C 153; T 55; H 51; L 91; R 1.78

My triglyceride and HDL numbers are slightly worse, but all of the other numbers have improved. Total cholesterol has come down 9.5%. I really pay attention my lipids to since I'm genetically predisposed to high cholesterol.

One number that is about the same? My weight. Health is about so much more than weight. I was thin before I started running. The number on the scale hasn't changed significantly, but my body has changed, inside and out. I'm thrilled to see some proof that the running is making a real difference in my health!