This post will probably stir up a little controversy among my friends and readers who are runners, but I want to throw out the question: “Is jogging (or running) actually bad for you?”
Let me begin by saying that I am a “retired” runner myself. I have run a lot of miles, including numerous marathons and triathlons and too many 10k’s to count. I used to be pretty passionate about it, like a lot of runners. If you are a runner, you know what I mean. It can become an obsession. You measure everything – weekly mileage, average time, etc.
I have been fortunate to escape with only minor permanent (seemingly) damage to my body. I have a hip that is very inflexible and fairly painful, which is the direct result of a running injury. Most of my former running buddies are afflicted with aches, pains and injuries directly attributable to running. Here’s the short list:
- Foot pain (plantar fasciitis, etc.)
- knee pain (some have had to have knee repair surgery)
- Hip pain
- Back pain
In other words, if you are going to be a runner for a long time, you can pretty well expect to develop pain or arthritis in every joint in your lower body, and probably your upper body as well. Heck, just look at the articles in any runners’ magazine and you will see that many of them are related to recovering from running injuries.
I suppose if you step back and take a look at how running has been done in the past 20 years, it’s not surprising that most runners (or former runners) are afflicted with these injuries. Let’s face it, running a lot of miles on concrete or pavement at a more or less constant pace is an invitation for repetitive stress injuries and permanent damage to your skeleton.
Most of the new research that has come out recently seems to indicate that shorter, more intense, workouts are far better at making you fit and at avoiding the injuries associated with hours and hours of cardio-type workouts.
If I had it to do over, I think I would do a lot less running than I did.
