Is Running Over Rated...
Running is one of the most popular, heralded exercise choices of men and women alike, of those seeking a dedicated fitness regime and of those searching for less structured means of getting the occasional workout. It is something you can do at the gym, in the park or even simply around the block by your home. But is this popular exercise overrated?
Impact on body
Running is considered a high-impact sport, meaning that the body forcibly hits the ground at a high level, which can cause damaging effects especially when done incorrectly or in the wrong type of gear. With every step you take when you run, you are hitting the ground at a force of two to three body weights. Over time, this can weaken the joints, especially those of older runners with already weakening joints.
However, health professionals argue against this case, stating that wearing proper shoes and not overdoing it will help avoid any potential damage that can be done by the high-impact nature of this sport.
Not a natural solution
Our bodies aren't designed for long-distance running and training with this method may be an unnatural solution for a fitness regime. In the past, we would run quickly from predators so our bodies are more designed for short sprints. In fact, any high-impact sport is the opposite of what our bodies are designed to do.
However, this can be said of most workout regimes. Today, most people take cars to work and sit at their desk throughout the day, and our bodies aren't designed to be as inactive as we are. While some individuals regularly engage in activities such as hiking, most of us require a trip to the gym or a jog around the block to work that small amount of activity into our daily lives.
Lack of success
When individuals run for too long, all carbs and fats are burned away, leaving the body to begin burning muscles. While this is successful for weight loss, it leads to poor muscle mass and lack of strength. This is why running can have damaging effects on muscles, and it is important to prevent the body from doing this when working out.
Alternatively, running alone is not the solution to a weight loss, muscle building regime. Cardio can increase metabolism in small increments, but in order to consistently raise it over time, resistance muscle training has been proven to be much more successful, especially long-term. Often, by doing cardio alone, some individuals may even see an increase in body weight, rather than a loss. This can cause a serious setback in any fitness regime at seeing negative results instead of positive.
However, many of these issues are caused by the runner simply not approaching their fitness regime correctly. Any routine done incorrectly has drawbacks and can cause negative results. Most beginner runners jump into their new fitness regime with too much too fast. Wearing the proper shoes, avoiding overrunning and adding muscle training to the cardio routine will avoid all of the issues stated above. When done correctly, the benefits of running far outweigh the negatives.
Running is one of the most popular, heralded exercise choices of men and women alike, of those seeking a dedicated fitness regime and of those searching for less structured means of getting the occasional workout. It is something you can do at the gym, in the park or even simply around the block by your home. But is this popular exercise overrated?
Impact on body
Running is considered a high-impact sport, meaning that the body forcibly hits the ground at a high level, which can cause damaging effects especially when done incorrectly or in the wrong type of gear. With every step you take when you run, you are hitting the ground at a force of two to three body weights. Over time, this can weaken the joints, especially those of older runners with already weakening joints.
However, health professionals argue against this case, stating that wearing proper shoes and not overdoing it will help avoid any potential damage that can be done by the high-impact nature of this sport.
Not a natural solution
Our bodies aren't designed for long-distance running and training with this method may be an unnatural solution for a fitness regime. In the past, we would run quickly from predators so our bodies are more designed for short sprints. In fact, any high-impact sport is the opposite of what our bodies are designed to do.
However, this can be said of most workout regimes. Today, most people take cars to work and sit at their desk throughout the day, and our bodies aren't designed to be as inactive as we are. While some individuals regularly engage in activities such as hiking, most of us require a trip to the gym or a jog around the block to work that small amount of activity into our daily lives.
Lack of success
When individuals run for too long, all carbs and fats are burned away, leaving the body to begin burning muscles. While this is successful for weight loss, it leads to poor muscle mass and lack of strength. This is why running can have damaging effects on muscles, and it is important to prevent the body from doing this when working out.
Alternatively, running alone is not the solution to a weight loss, muscle building regime. Cardio can increase metabolism in small increments, but in order to consistently raise it over time, resistance muscle training has been proven to be much more successful, especially long-term. Often, by doing cardio alone, some individuals may even see an increase in body weight, rather than a loss. This can cause a serious setback in any fitness regime at seeing negative results instead of positive.
However, many of these issues are caused by the runner simply not approaching their fitness regime correctly. Any routine done incorrectly has drawbacks and can cause negative results. Most beginner runners jump into their new fitness regime with too much too fast. Wearing the proper shoes, avoiding overrunning and adding muscle training to the cardio routine will avoid all of the issues stated above. When done correctly, the benefits of running far outweigh the negatives.
