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I am just the occasional runner, but have been thinking about adding weights to make them more intense, however, I am very hesitant for fear of doing long term

I am just the occasional runner, but have been thinking about adding weights to make them more intense, however, I am very hesitant for fear of doing long term damage to my joints?

rapsey 7y ago
Why not just add sprinting?
zcid 7y ago
I wouldn't recommend using weights for any kind of distance. If you want to up the intensity, it's generally considered safer to do 400m/800m sprints, hill sprints, sled/prowler, etc.
scarface74 7y ago
Why do you want to get better? At some point, exercise has diminishing short and long term benefits and becomes actively harmful. This isn’t true for everyone, but I stopped running years ago because I could see it would have long term detrimental effects on me. I still exercise, but I think I have a good understanding of where I want to be and just to maintain at that level.
- OldFatCactus 7y ago
  Source for this? Middle-aged runners look like they're in great shape. Evidence suggests long-distance running, if done correctly, has no adverse effects on the body. We've literally evolved for it
  - scarface74 7y ago
    Definitely not an anti-exercise site: https://www.active.com/health/articles/why-too-much-running-is-bad-for-your-health https://www.active.com/health/articles/why-too-much-running-... Not to mention shin splints, torn Achilles, etc. Of course there are diminishing returns if you are running for the purpose of living a longer, healthier life. As far what we “evolved for”. There is no evolutionary benefit of living past the age where you can pass on your genes and endure the next generation can do the same. There is no evolutionary pressure for a people to live pass that age. Evolution would never favor a trait that would allow a population to live be 100 instead of 60.
    - nothrabannosir 7y ago
      > Evolution would never favor a trait that would allow a population to live be 100 instead of 60. It would. Grandparents care for grand children. In fact, they seem to have an uncanny ability to inculcate them with the desire for having more children, of their own. Hmmmm ;)
      - scarface74 7y ago
        I am not saying “old people are useless”. I’m saying that there wouldn’t be evolutionary pressure to allow people to survive pass 60. It’s believed that we evolved to have stamina for long distance running to tire out our prey. The elders wouldn’t be the hunters.
        nothrabannosir 7y ago
        Point being: Caring for grandchildren makes them more likely to survive and pass on your genes. Asking them every Christmas dinner when they’re gonna give you great grandchildren, too, apparently.
        scarface74 7y ago
        In the hunter gatherer society where our stamina would mean we eat. They would have the female stay with the children....
    - ksdale 7y ago
      Passing on useful knowledge, for example, concerning rare but catastrophic events could be an evolutionary reason for people to live far past child bearing age.
      - scarface74 7y ago
        Would you need to pass that knowledge on for two generations instead of one?
  - Someone 7y ago
    ”Middle-aged runners look like they're in great shape” That’s not a valid argument. It could be survivor bias, with those still running (and not dead, bound to a wheelchair at 30, etc) looking great. Even if, taking that into account, runners look better than non-runners, there, a priori, is no guarantee they wouldn’t have looked even better without it.
loeg 7y ago
It's unclear from your comment whether you mean weights while running or separate weight training. Adding weights while running tends to lead to injury and isn't a good idea. Adding more running, adding more intense running (sprinting, intervals, or fartleks), or adding non-running weight training (squats, deadlifts) can all improve your running and are good ideas.
nmdeadhead 7y ago
As someone who runs a lot with a pack that typically weighs forty pounds, I highly recommend that you not do this. FWIW, I don't believe I'm damaging my joints by what I do, but I spent many years hiking with a pack and then many years running without a pack before I started running with a pack. It can, however, be done: https://github.com/ctm/Bataan-Memorial-Death-March https://github.com/ctm/Bataan-Memorial-Death-March
sn9 7y ago
Your suspicions are correct; that would be a bad idea. What are your goals?

I am just the occasional runner, but have been thinking about adding weights to make them more intense, however, I am very hesitant for fear of doing long term damage to my joints?

rapsey 7y ago

Why not just add sprinting?

zcid 7y ago

I wouldn't recommend using weights for any kind of distance. If you want to up the intensity, it's generally considered safer to do 400m/800m sprints, hill sprints, sled/prowler, etc.

scarface74 7y ago

Why do you want to get better? At some point, exercise has diminishing short and long term benefits and becomes actively harmful. This isn’t true for everyone, but I stopped running years ago because I could see it would have long term detrimental effects on me. I still exercise, but I think I have a good understanding of where I want to be and just to maintain at that level.

OldFatCactus 7y ago
Source for this? Middle-aged runners look like they're in great shape. Evidence suggests long-distance running, if done correctly, has no adverse effects on the body. We've literally evolved for it
- scarface74 7y ago
  Definitely not an anti-exercise site: https://www.active.com/health/articles/why-too-much-running-is-bad-for-your-health https://www.active.com/health/articles/why-too-much-running-... Not to mention shin splints, torn Achilles, etc. Of course there are diminishing returns if you are running for the purpose of living a longer, healthier life. As far what we “evolved for”. There is no evolutionary benefit of living past the age where you can pass on your genes and endure the next generation can do the same. There is no evolutionary pressure for a people to live pass that age. Evolution would never favor a trait that would allow a population to live be 100 instead of 60.
  - nothrabannosir 7y ago
    > Evolution would never favor a trait that would allow a population to live be 100 instead of 60. It would. Grandparents care for grand children. In fact, they seem to have an uncanny ability to inculcate them with the desire for having more children, of their own. Hmmmm ;)
    - scarface74 7y ago
      I am not saying “old people are useless”. I’m saying that there wouldn’t be evolutionary pressure to allow people to survive pass 60. It’s believed that we evolved to have stamina for long distance running to tire out our prey. The elders wouldn’t be the hunters.
      - nothrabannosir 7y ago
        Point being: Caring for grandchildren makes them more likely to survive and pass on your genes. Asking them every Christmas dinner when they’re gonna give you great grandchildren, too, apparently.
        scarface74 7y ago
        In the hunter gatherer society where our stamina would mean we eat. They would have the female stay with the children....
  - ksdale 7y ago
    Passing on useful knowledge, for example, concerning rare but catastrophic events could be an evolutionary reason for people to live far past child bearing age.
    - scarface74 7y ago
      Would you need to pass that knowledge on for two generations instead of one?
- Someone 7y ago
  ”Middle-aged runners look like they're in great shape” That’s not a valid argument. It could be survivor bias, with those still running (and not dead, bound to a wheelchair at 30, etc) looking great. Even if, taking that into account, runners look better than non-runners, there, a priori, is no guarantee they wouldn’t have looked even better without it.

loeg 7y ago

It's unclear from your comment whether you mean weights while running or separate weight training. Adding weights while running tends to lead to injury and isn't a good idea. Adding more running, adding more intense running (sprinting, intervals, or fartleks), or adding non-running weight training (squats, deadlifts) can all improve your running and are good ideas.

nmdeadhead 7y ago

As someone who runs a lot with a pack that typically weighs forty pounds, I highly recommend that you not do this. FWIW, I don't believe I'm damaging my joints by what I do, but I spent many years hiking with a pack and then many years running without a pack before I started running with a pack. It can, however, be done: https://github.com/ctm/Bataan-Memorial-Death-March https://github.com/ctm/Bataan-Memorial-Death-March

sn9 7y ago

Your suspicions are correct; that would be a bad idea. What are your goals?