Should You Reconsider Running?

Reasons You Might Want to Reconsider Running:

if you feel like this when running, there's good news!

1.  More likely to get injured - with the repetition of running without much diversion (like other exercise forms) in your movements, you end up highly stressing certain areas of your body.  Remember the old rule 'if you don't use it you lose it"?  Well running only uses a small amount of the available range of motion of the hips, shoulder, knees and ankles.  It is not a complete exercise form and should not be relied upon as the only exercise form that one gets.  I see more pure runners in my sports medicine injury practice than I do crossfitters.

which thigh would you rather have?

2.  Less muscle, more fat - After about 20-30 minutes of exercise your body uses up the available sugars to provide energy for your exercise, afterward you end up using a good portion of your own muscle mass as energy for your exercise.  Have you ever seen someone that isn't fat but they don't have any muscle definition whatsoever?  They might be an endurance athlete that only relies on one exercise form to stay in shape.  Therefore they're not fat, but they don't really look good.

3.  Your body adapts and conserves energy - This is what the body does, it adapts.  That's why we're all still here.  That's why I was born in Buffalo, NY and used to think that type of weather (cold and snowy) was normal and that the south Florida climate I'm in now was crazy.  And now I'm shivering when I'm up there and comfortable down here.  The longer you do any process the more the body will become efficient (meaning burning less calories and lower your metabolism). 

4.  It takes too long - what? It does....You can burn more fat effectively in a 4 minute tabata interval.

Having said all of this, running is not a bad thing.  If you are passionate about running and it leaves you feeling happy and healthy, then by all means you should continue running.  Now if you don't actually enjoy running, what I recommend you do is to try alternate options as far as your healthy and wellness. Options like crossfit, the orange theory, boot camps, High intensity interval training, yoga, pilates, triathlons, etc.  There are so many options out there and I recommend you try them all.  If you don't like running...then don't do it!

 As always feel free to tell me what you'd like me to write about and if you'd like to schedule your own appointment dial my office at 561.997.8898.  To check out more visit www.Mobility-4Life.com