RUNNING IS BAD FOR YOU!
Just kidding. Yes I like to run. More accurately, I like to run fast. I’m not a fan of endurance events but that’s just me.
As exercise goes, running is great. But why are you doing it? If you label yourself a runner, then yes, you have to run to get better at running. I enjoy working with runners because I know the movement mechanics and can understand their power needs. But if you’re just trying to lose weight, then should you run? Yup. Why not.
I don’t remember where I read this but I read an article or post not long ago which condemned running as a potentally injurious exercise. But check it out–everything is subjective! (that means it depends on many factors). If you are a novice exerciser–someone who hasn’t done anything for a “while” (like “months”)–then I would consider the pitfalls. If you are severely overweight, your joints are gonna hurt. Especially if you don’t properly warm up, sporto. Why is that? It’s from the impact, jeenius. You have to apply significant force to the ground to get off of it. Since “running” means that you’re spending a little time off the ground then this is reality. Sooooo, the bigger you are, the more power you gotta produce to get vertical.
Very few activities are “just aerobic.” Running is also not on the list. Depending on your duration then it might be mostly aerobic, but there are objective forces that you must apply to fight gravity as you travel forward. If you lack the power to execute proper mechanics, you expose yourself to higher odds for getting hurt. My other “running” article tiptoes around this. That article alludes to hip flexor and hamstring injury at higher intensities, but shin splints and knee pain are the two popular complaints of aspiring “losers” who choose to run for exercise. Number three, in my experience is plantar fasciitis; but that one is usually a quick fix.
What I’m getting around to, is that you can hurt yourself a lot of different ways if you do something repetitively wrong. Running is an easy target for those who seek excuses, because you don’t do short “sets” of running–you don’t stop after a certain amount of “reps”–you gotta go for a while; especially, as I’ve said, if you’re doin it for the metabolic beatdown. And the more you choose to see it that way (moving “passively”) then the sooner it will beat you down; but maybe in ways you didn’t intend.
Yes, all the “standard exercise rules” apply when running. What I mean is: warming up, increasing GRADUALLY, fostering flexibility, and cooling down.
Every part of running should be active; not passive. Your feet should not be “allowed” to hit the ground–they should be commanded to! Stop waiting for your new shoes to fix the problem–believe me, the chances are slim that your old ones were the cause.
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