Do You Run For Exercise: You Might Want To Reconsider

Running is one of the most popular exercises people do maintain health. Running is good for you: Running brings a whole host of physiological benefits, including an improved cardiovascular system, stronger heart, greater blood volume and improved resistance to infection to name a few.  

I remember when I was boxing back in the early 1970’s I used to run five miles a day while in training. But did all that running cause me to get a hip replacement because the hip joint was so damaged it caused me great pain? 

Well, it seems that repeated pounding takes its toll (in both the short and long-term) on bones, particularly on joints. Numerous studies showed that moderate exercise was good, but excessive exercise was damaging. For instance, in one German study published in the European Heart Journal, researchers compared the hearts of 108 chronic marathoners and sedentary people in a control group. Surprisingly, the runners had more coronary plaque buildup, a risk factor for heart disease.

 Tiger Woods Asked by a fan on Golf TV what he would tell his younger self, the five-time Masters’ winner recently responded, “Not to run so much.”

“Running over 30 miles a week for probably my first five, six years on Tour pretty much destroyed my body and my knees,” the 44-year-old Woods said. Woods’ legendary career has been stalled by four back and five knee surgeries, some of which may have been the result of running.

Overall, more than half of the people who run will experience some sort of injury from doing so, while the percentage of walkers who will get hurt is around 1 percent. Interestingly, it seems you can walk pretty much endlessly without any increased risk of hurting yourself. 

So is running good or bad? A little bit of running is good, a lot of running is bad. It seems that like most things in life moderation is the key. It seems like common sense to me, the excessive pounding on the joints over time will cause joint problems. Running places a lot of stress on the body, triggering inflammation, and micro-tears that need time to heal. Running every day might reduce your risk of certain diseases, but it can also lead to injuries and general wear and tear on your feet, legs, and joints, affecting your overall health and your performance.

“Running every day is not ideal, as it can cause significant wear and tear on the body over time,” Jacquelyn Baston, a certified personal trainer, and an avid runner says. “Your body needs time to recover from the repetitive movements that come with running.” 

The chance of injury is greater than for any of the other aerobic activities listed here. Running traumatizes the body, especially joints in the legs, knees, and back, as well as the kidneys. 

It boils down to this, running is great for your health especially for heart health, but you have to run in moderation, even then you still run the risk of joint problems. I think better options are swimming and bike riding. I myself am an avid swimmer, but even that I do in moderation 30 – 40 minutes 4 days a week. 

If you are a runner, that’s great, I always say any exercise is better than none at all. But you should just be aware of the pros and cons.