Is running bad for you?

Is running bad for you???

I’ve been asked this question so many times. And I’ve also heard, and read, a whole lot of advice that suggests that, yes, running is bad and you should avoid it. But this advice is usually given out regardless of any assessment of the individual asking the question, and the answer often reflects only the opinion of the person giving it.

So, should you run?  Let’s break it down a bit. Running is something that we have evolved naturally to do: so why do so many people believe that it’s detrimental to our wellbeing?

Of course, injuries caused by running affect how people think about, and these can occur for a number of reasons.  For example, let’s take someone who is ordinarily sedentary and has decided to get fit. If, instead of going through a measured approach of building the layers of fitness steadily, he or she starts doing multiple runs, progressing the speed and duration far too quickly, they are likely to end up with calf issues, knee issues, back issues or shin splints, or maybe more than one of those symptoms. Understandably, they would identify running as the cause of their injuries, whereas it’s far more likely that they’ve moved from sedentary to active too rapidly, pushing the body beyond its capability at that point.  Remember—it’s important to build up your layers steadily and slowly.

Injuries can also be caused when running because we all have one side of our body that is more dominant than the other. Working in the way that many of us do, in jobs that are often repetitive and sedentary, we develop patterns of movement that create imbalance. And so, a sudden change of pace—like deciding to train for a half marathon from a standing start—is likely to cause an injury.  The injury is not necessarily caused by the act running itself, but is more likely to occur because the knee, hip or ankle joint is weak, and the amount of force put through it by the repetitive act of running magnifies that weakness.

There are also some working in the fitness industry who say that cardio and fat loss can be done using weights, which is true, as you simply need to be in a calorie-deficit state to lose weight. And you can design a program in such a way that you will work your cardiovascular system as well. If you’re weight-training while being on a calorie-deficit diet you may lose less muscle tissue than you would otherwise, but personally I don’t see why one can’t compliment the other.

It it works for you, definitely keep running as part of your weekly routine, but I would always recommend you do some sort of strength work to help keep your joints more robust to counterbalance the impact of such a repetitive form of cardiovascular exercise.

I guess like in many of my previous posts the take-home point is this—if done sensibly, with steady and measured progression, running is NOT bad for you.

Thanks everyone and see you all next month.