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Is Running Good or Bad for Your Health?
- DiabloD3 10y agoThe usual rule is "if a headline asks a question the answer is no." This is not a yes or no question, thus I believe the answer is unequivocally "yes."
- anonymfus 10y agoThe answer is always least surprising, because more surprising answer would be included in the title.
- esolyt 10y agoYes and this is known as Betteridge's law of headlines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headline...
- eatbitseveryday 10y ago> Is Running Good or Bad for Your Health? > "yes" I find it enjoyable when people respond with answers that don't match the question. Often I find they provide an answer that would match if the question were cut short, e.g. > Is Running Good? > "yes"
- eyelidlessness 10y agoResponding in the affirmative or the negative to an "or" question is often a glib shrug.
- nadezhda18 10y agoit's good - as long as your leg joints do not tell you the opposite nd it's too bad when they do :(
- brooklyndavs 10y agoThere was a study a few years ago (posted below) that actually found running is fairly good for your joints as the stress encourages your body to build and repair cartilage. If you are personally having joint issues and you want to continue to run I encourage you not to give up. Try different shoes, have your gait analyzed, even see a physical therapist who specializes in running. I obviously don't know if you are in this situation or if you have tried any of these things, but I know even a simple thing like changing the type of shoe you wear and a little rest can help resolve a lot of minor joint pain issues. http://www.npr.org/2011/03/28/134861448/put-those-shoes-on-running-wont-kill-your-knees http://www.npr.org/2011/03/28/134861448/put-those-shoes-on-r...
- maxerickson 10y agoIt's also a good idea to evaluate whether you are running too much. It can take a while to build up that cartilage.
- nadezhda18 10y agoIt might have been the case... like 30 min minimum every day
- nadezhda18 10y agothanks for your advices! I did not try to change the shoes or see a therapist. I also think I tried to run too often/much, like min 30 min every day :-|
- WalterBright 10y agoI switched from "heel strike" to "ball of foot strike" when running. (Just tilt the front of your foot down.) It took a couple weeks to adjust. After a couple months, my chronic knee pain faded away, to be replaced by chronic pain in the knuckles of my big toes. Doing the ball strike puts an immediately noticeably less of an impact load on your knees/hips.
- 10y ago
- samayshamdasani 10y agoI'm a cross-country runner averaging 30+ miles a week. I don't see any harm. It's had a great impact on me. I feel healthier and more fit. Some articles just don't make sense.
- notacoward 10y agoAnecdotes are not evidence, and incomplete anecdotes (e.g. omitting age) are even less.
- zackbloom 10y agoThe article clearly states the harm may be things like cardiomegaly which you wouldn't overtly see (until you have an MI at 55). In any case, your subjective experience doesn't outweigh actual science conducted on a significant group of people. The article does make sense, you just don't like the idea because it would mean you might not be as healthy as you think. That doesn't mean you should stop running, just that it is a decision with consequences like any other.
- doggoneit 10y ago.
- elchief 10y agoJesus Christ. The problem is not saturated fats and dietary cholesterol. I see you're new here
- doggoneit 10y ago.
- dilap 10y agothere's a lot of recent (& to many:) convincing arguments that saturated fats have been demonized w/o cause, for social dynamics reasons. arguably "good calories, bad calories" was the book that started this modern reexamining of nutritional orthodoxy, but see also many other recent articles and studies.
- pcunite 10y agoSomething that I've tried to live by is to be "moderate" in most things.
- Retra 10y agoSomething I've tried to live by is to not say useless and vague things. For example, you just implied you are not "moderate" in some things. So what are those things? Why did you choose to not be moderate in them? How is that better than not being moderate in running? And what is "moderate"? You've spoken a platitude.
- elchief 10y agoLook at a male Olympian long distance runner's physique. Is that what you want to look like? You probably won't get there, but is that a worthwhile goal? Whereas a short or mid distance runner looks more normal and healthy. This tells me that I probably want to run shorter distances. In fact, I never run more than a mile, but do it quickly.
- dilap 10y agointeresting comment. i wonder though -- how much of this is cause vs effect (e.g., people with bodies naturally suited to shorter vs longer distances), and how much of "do i want to look like that" is your particular, perhaps arbitrary cultural associations of "this is good"?
- matwood 10y agoSprints/HIIT have been to shown to be more effective at what many people are trying to get out of running - in better shape and body composition changes.
- maxerickson 10y agoElite distance runners are smaller on average but they are also pretty damn lean.
- trentnix 10y agoThat's not at all how it works. One doesn't get that body type from running long distances, one runs long distances well because they are predisposed to that body type. Consider, for example, a swim meet. If you look at the competitors in prelims, you'll see a variety of body types. By the semifinals, you'll see a smaller variety, and by the finals, you'll likely see a field of competitors with similar builds. Most look at that and assume a build like that of those in the finals is the result of an intense swimming regiment, when actually it's that body type that enabled swimming success. The entire field of competitors may have put in similar levels of effort, but the physiological advantages genetically granted to the better swimmers is what resulted in their relative success.
- nbschulze 10y agoI ran 80-90 miles per week while in college and continued running 20-30 per week for a couple of years after until my knee stopped cooperating (I'm really looking forward to knee surgery in October). I have experienced some of the described symptoms (irregular heartbeat and etc), but wouldn't have done much differently. Honestly, this article basically boils down to 'do what your body can handle'. People are different. Bodies are different. Some people can handle 120 miles per week. Some people struggle to run one. Running is obviously good for your health, just don't over do it. And stretch and foam roll, that's as important as anything.
- mgarfias 10y agoRunning was clearly bad for my health: at 17 I f’d up both of mine. “Oh its just shin splints, run through it.” Yeah, until I couldn’t run through the pain any more. Quit running track, bloated up like Pacheco’s pig. Found out later that I wore grooves through the cartiledge and into my bones. Also, discovered that if I ran on my toes instead of heel strikes I can run now without pain. Its juts ingrained to hate it now.
- Taek 10y agoSeems like you discovered it already, but shin splints, knee problems, back problems, etc. are usually based in either bad shoes or bad form. There are also strengthening exercises you can do for each to make you less susceptible to them. Often times the body's limitations are caused by problems that can be fixed or worked around, allowing you to push yourself farther and harder without hurting your health.
- nicobn 10y agoGenuinely curious here. Can you point me to some of these strengthening exercises ?
- mpol 10y agoNot a direct answer to your question, but I see many people running past my house and balkony, since there is a nice walkway next to my house. I see them do it in many different ways, some of which are good, some of which are really bad. Many people seem to bounce up and down on every step, putting shocks of weight on their knees at every step. That will hurt you in the long term, probably even in the short term. You should have a certain flow in running, where your upper body just remains at the same height, and your legs are the only moving parts. Like your upper body is just sliding forward, that is the effect you want. And you might think you do it right, but chances are you don't. I do not run myself, but I can imagine there are running trainers who specialize in ergonomics and health. You might want to have someone like that take a look at how you are running.
- jmde 10y agoThe article frames the question as a sort of strawman in some ways. Rather than ask "is running good or bad for you?" you could ask "is an alternative form of exercise, that has fewer damaging side effects, better?" For example, would you be just as well off walking, skiing, or biking? My understanding is the answer to that is even less clear.
- brooklyndavs 10y agoIt is kind of, and unfortunately it doesn't give a lot of background. For the past few years there have been a few studies suggesting that distance running (say anything past a 1/2 marathon) might actually be harmful for ones heart. As I runner I'm personally glad to have more reporting on this issue. So, the question of "is an alternative form of exercise, that has fewer damaging side effects, better?" is an important one to ask, and better would need to have a definition around it. However, answering that question wasn't the goal of this article.
- Steltek 10y agoThe article focuses on heart health (where on first look, I was expecting joint damage) so any high cardio exercise could lead to this, if taken to an extreme. Running probably engages this more easily since it works the whole body for longer periods. Biking is my personal go-to exercise but it's not without its risks from traffic, pollution, or in the winter, black ice. Still, it's otherwise nonproductive commute time being made very useful.
- schoen 10y ago> black ice It doesn't get below freezing where I live so I haven't had to contend with this personally, but when my friend lived in Boston and cycled throughout the winter, he got the Finnish studded snow tires for his bike: http://www.icebike.org/the-ultimate-guide-to-winter-bike-tires-and-studded-tires/ http://www.icebike.org/the-ultimate-guide-to-winter-bike-tir... He said it made him feel a lot safer. (That page mentions a concern that there are failure cases related to inappropriate tire pressure that may reduce traction compared to regular tires, but it seems like they normally increase traction by a huge amount.)
- jfoutz 10y ago> [Lee concludes his data] "don't support that more is worse. But more may not be better." [Williams concludes] 40 miles a week [...] were 26 percent less likely to develop coronary heart disease than those running just 13 miles per week. So to sum up, running is way way better than doing nothing. More than 40 miles a week may have not only diminishing returns, but negative consequences. I'd guess most people here don't realize what a crazy time commitment running 40 miles a week actually is. Even if you can pull off 6 minute miles (4 hours/week), there's still a need for rest after the run, more sleep, more food, replacing shoes and clothes as they wear out. The extra time adds up.
- jpmattia 10y ago> what a crazy time commitment running 40 miles a week actually is. Absolutely. 52 yo here, averaging about 15 miles/week running + 4-7 miles/week hiking. It takes major dedication just to work that amount in, I have no idea how I'd spin up to do 40 mi/week. And as far as I'm concerned: The cardio benefit is pretty minuscule compared to what it does for the head.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- notacoward 10y agoI'm 51, and I only run a little more than half that much. On the other hand, distance only affects the on-road time. When you factor in getting ready and cooling down and stretching and dealing with gear and everything else, I probably spend more than an hour a day on average. Then again, it's something that just has to be done. Some form of exercise is necessary to stay healthy and sane. I need to sleep and bathe, I need to do housework and pay bills, I need to do all that other adult stuff . . . and I need to exercise. Any option will take time. Like every other obligatory thing, that means less time reading or surfing the web or playing video games or watching TV or whatever. Oh well. Life's like that.
- loeg 10y ago> It takes major dedication just to work that amount in, I have no idea how I'd spin up to do 40 mi/week. Slowly, and do a little every day. Or at least, that worked for me. I do 3-4 miles a day (longer on weekends) for 25-30 mi/week total. I've worked up to that from zero over 18-24 months.
- flippyhead 10y agoShort answer: good!
- jjkmk 10y agoI think as long as you don't have major health issues, or joint problems it's great for your health. The down side is it is easy to get injured.
- et2o 10y agoDefine health
- eyelidlessness 10y agoI'm not dead yet!
- et2o 10y agoDefine health
- loeg 10y agoTl;dr > The health benefits of running short or long distances are so overwhelmingly positive that they swamp potential dangers.
- brownbat 10y agoAn addendum to Bettridge's law: When headlines can't be answered "no," the most boring possible answer is correct.
- eyelidlessness 10y agoAnother addendum, because I've seen it done too often not to mention: If you're aware of Bettridge's law and craft your headline to take advantage of it, you're a total shitbag and you're not fooling anyone.
- rzzzt 10y agoBetteridge and De Morgan's joint law: A headline posed as a question with an OR operator can be rewritten as a statement with an AND operator.
- Pamar 10y agoI therefore suggest a corollary: "When Battridge's law does not apply, you can safely answer the headline with It depends".
- geezerjay 10y agoThere is also the fact that running isn't the only form of exercise. Therefore, no one needs to be subjected to all the health problems caused by running just to try to improve their health. Its disingenuous to claim that running is awesome because someone is willing to trade some major cardiovascular problems with other health problems. Running still triggers major health concerns that aren't associated with other forms of exercise.
- neilsharma 10y agoI've been running (well, fast jogging) 10-20 miles/week for over 10 years. I've had so many feet and knee problems over the years and ended up getting $250 custom-molded graphite orthotics. Those essentially acted as crutches as my arches, which made my feet very weak. Walking around barefoot caused my feet to collapse inwards, causing more pain. Tried biking instead, but indoor biking is the most mind-numbing activity ever, and outdoor biking proved to be equally damaging (lots of falls) and far scarier (going downhill on a road with cars). Basically I want an outdoor elliptical machine that moves at a reasonable 5-8mph.
- miranda_rights 10y agoI've seen a few around my city actually. I looked them up and I guess they're called Elliptigoes [1]. [1] http://www.elliptigo.com/ http://www.elliptigo.com/
- neilsharma 10y agoThis is awesome! Thanks a bunch for the link. I will do research and see if its worth the investment.
- xarope 10y agoRunning is a tool. There are plenty of fitness tools available, some better for the individual than others. Choose the right tool (!). More importantly, fitness also helps the mental side of things. Kung fu and physical yoga (apocryphal or otherwise) helped monks/yogis to get fit enough so they could concentrate on the mental/spiritual side of their pursuits, and not to forget the various greek philosphers (I'm sure others will chime in with more examples).
- agumonkey 10y agoWhen in really bad shape, I tried some physical activity to maintain a certain metabolism level. Biking wasn't effective (even though it's easier on your joints and mind), I was surprised at the difference with jogging. Somehow the spread of efforts and rhythm of running is a very very effective trigger for your cardiovascular system. Very quickly you find yourself a bit warmer, with a deeper breathing. Something I never achieved on a bike (it was either no sensations, or overheat and fatigue).
- facepalm 10y agoHow do I know they got their statistics right? It seems like a very easy mistake to make to look at health of people and see runners tend to be more healthy, not taking into account that health issues might prevent people from running in the first place. (So running would just be an indicator for health, not a cause).
- dominotw 10y agoHas anyone been able to beat knees, ankle, plantar, hip, it band issues while running for a considerable amount of time? Did you do anything different to achieve that?
- flippyhead 10y agoDon't run on concrete, if you can avoid it.
- kevhsu 10y agosee a physical therapist to figure out where you should increase strength in complementary muscle groups as well as fix flexibility issues. Also, making corrections to running form.
- qqw1qqw1 10y agoSupplemental strength training (see anatomy for runners) and carefully ramping up mileage.
- todd8 10y agoI've never had the best body for running. I'm not tall (good) but too heavy (bad) and I have flat feet (bad). However, I was able to start running at age 50 and by 55 qualify to run in the Boston Marathon without injury. I ran six marathons and probably a dozen half marathons in that time, eventually at a pace in the top 20% of my age group, not that great (or even that good) but I finished my marathons and was in fantastic shape. Here are my recommendations: Shoes -- keep experimenting until you find pairs that don't cause aches and pains. Some shoes caused knee pain in me, but others didn't. Find two different brands that work for you and use both pairs alternating between them. Each manufacturer's shoes feel a bit different and alternating you will lower the chances of overuse injury. Form -- learn to feel like you are hitting the ground very lightly with your feet. Don't pound, land on your heels, or over stride. Thinking of contacting the ground directly under your body with your foot fall will keep you from landing too far in front and will reduce the strain on your legs. Mileage -- limit long runs (over 5 miles) to one per week and once they get over 12 miles to once every two weeks. For most of my training I kept mileage to under 40 miles per week. Plan on taking over six months to build up to being able to run a marathon even if you start out in good shape. Build mileage slowly. Frequency -- take days off to allow your body to recover. Most of my weeks I ran MWF about 3.5 miles each day, one day at the track doing intervals or hill training, and one long run on the weekend. Run/Walk -- my first marathon was one of my fastest. Although the conditions were ideal that day, I also credit using Galloway's run/walk method [1]. During a race or long run I would walk through the water stops and walk for say 45 seconds to 1 minute during that time. This really gives your legs a nice break and I was surprised at how fast my overall times ended up being using this method. Lose Weight -- I will never be a good weight for distance running (even in college as a gymnast with very low body fat I weighed about 150). However, distance running helps one lose weight and losing weight helps one with running. Being heavy greatly increases the stress on your body. Finally, I would take aspirin or Advil for aches when needed to help keep inflammation down. Warm up before running, but don't stretch before running. [1] http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/run-walk/ http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/run-walk/
- michaelsbradley 10y agoLike many professional programmers and other folks whose jobs keep them relatively sedentary during long work hours, I began to really struggle with weight gain as I progressed into my 30s. I tried various things: cycling, personal trainer for "big lifts", running, elliptical machine, rowing. I found running to be rather hard on my joints, so I never really got into it; but I put a lot of time into the other activities, mostly doing them on my own. And, frustratingly, I didn't get out of them what I hoped. What ended up making a huge difference was regular attendance at a variety of group fitness classes: weights, diversified HIIT, circuit training, indoor cycling. What posed a bit of a mental hurdle, but only at first, was that most of the other participants were/are women in their 20s, which made me feel awkward. As a guy, it was a little frustrating for me to be in a room of women, many 10+ years younger, who were "kicking my butt" when it came to endurance, form, and intensity. But my fitness level eventually caught up, and I'm even going for my second certification as an instructor/coach of a couple of the formats I enjoy the most. I've lost and kept off over 30 lbs., and I'm constantly motivated by the dedication of other folks who take the classes with me. In addition to regular group exercise, I've found tracking calorie input-output to be helpful, both for weight loss and maintenance. Make sure you're eating enough protein, it's really important! Some brands I can recommend, from personal experience: Les Mills BodyPump and Grit[1], Orangetheory Fitness[2], Spinning[3], myzone monitor[4], Fitbit (Charge HR and Blaze)[5]. I also recommend buying a high-density foam-roller[6] and some balls of various densities (tennis, racquet/squash, lacrosse). I've found huge relief from post-exercise aches and pains in spending about 20 minutes after each exercise session "rolling out" my muscles. It really hurts when you're not used to it (as in teeth-gnashing, grunting discomfort!), but it eventually starts to feel good and improves recovery. [1] https://www.lesmills.com/?findaclass=&ici=Find-A-Class-Near-You_btn-1&icn=Find-A-Class https://www.lesmills.com/?findaclass=&ici=Find-A-Class-Near-... [&] https://www.lesmills.com/workouts/fitness-classes/bodypump/ https://www.lesmills.com/workouts/fitness-classes/bodypump/ [&] https://www.lesmills.com/workouts/high-intensity-interval-training/les-mills-grit-cardio/ https://www.lesmills.com/workouts/high-intensity-interval-tr... [&] https://www.lesmills.com/workouts/high-intensity-interval-training/les-mills-grit-plyo/ https://www.lesmills.com/workouts/high-intensity-interval-tr... [&] https://www.lesmills.com/workouts/high-intensity-interval-training/les-mills-grit-strength/ https://www.lesmills.com/workouts/high-intensity-interval-tr... [2] http://www.orangetheoryfitness.com/Studio-Locations http://www.orangetheoryfitness.com/Studio-Locations [3] http://spinning.com/en/take_a_free_spinning_class http://spinning.com/en/take_a_free_spinning_class [4] https://buy.myzone.org/products/ https://buy.myzone.org/products/ [5] https://www.fitbit.com/chargehr https://www.fitbit.com/chargehr [&] https://www.fitbit.com/blaze https://www.fitbit.com/blaze [6] e.g. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BW2YYWY/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BW2YYWY/