Studies about the Pros and Cons of Running

dschassie

I need everyone's help!

My Mother insists that running is terrible for your knees, back, and feet and has gotten into countless argumenst with me about this topic as she know "so many people" that now have health propblems because they used to be runners.

I have been running for 1.5 years now, started with C25K and have completed several Halfs, training for my first Full. I would like to just share scientific articles and studies with her - preferably from both angles (pro running and con running). My Mother unfortunately is that person that believes all the diet and exercise myths that circle around (juice cleanses are great for you, weight lifting will make women bulky, the fewer calories you eat the more you lose - yadayada) so I need to throw legitimate facts at her.

Anyone have any great links I can share with her?

Chimis_Siq

I dont know if you wanted Medical based links, but these are ones that were given to me :

http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-feed/2014/05/is-running-bad-for-your-knees.html

http://www.drdavidgeier.com/is-running-bad-for-your-knees/

Second link has pics and is way better There are many out there though..

JazmineYoli

Bump

ThickMcRunFast

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/28/134861448/put-those-shoes-on-running-wont-kill-your-knees

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18483739

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2556152/

and of course

laban1ca

I get this a lot. My favorite response so far is "being overweight is bad for your knees too". I mean that in reference to myself. I don't actually go around calling people overweight.

handyrunner

its funny that people say this...every race has a masters age group and a lot of those folks have been running for decades.

For example I ran a one mile race last week..my time was a 7:48...there was a 75 yr old man who had been running all his life who ran it in a 5:30ish to win his age group.

If that is "the health problems" i have to look forward to when hit that age? yea ill take my chances!

cms721

In for the ammunition?

RunningForeverMama

dschassie

This is fantastic, thanks so much everyone!

Ferrous_Female_Dog

Just tell her everything is bad for something.

10determined

There are great cardiovascular benefits to running, but most runners know that it is a high impact sport. I am not sure that any one article is going to prove the issue one way or the other. The best approach is to learn what you can, monitor your own health and adjust accordingly. Most health care professionals do not discourage people from doing things unless they are clearly unwise for that particular person.

I have been a jogger for several decades and had my share of musculoskeletal problems that resulted from running, including foot, shin, leg, knee and back issues. I know that running is a contributor because each time I have stopped running, the symptoms have improved or abated. Now that I have significant disc degeneration, I curtail high impact exercises in favor of exercises that do not exacerbate the problem. I don't want to be hunched over in later years. I am now doing things to protect my spine while still enhancing my cardiovascular health.