Why do so many people only run?

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  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    I don't do much cardio in general but if I did I would prefer to do it on my own. I'm a bit anti-social when it comes to team sports and find it hard to speak to new people and generally just prefer to do things like that my own way.

    I hated PE at school and would literally grab any excuse not to do it. (apart from Badminton in later years when all my friends and I would do was whack the shuttlecock back and forth) - I LOVE that sport (as a rally only, not a proper scoring game), and I'll quite happily go the gym with friends/bf (my bf trains with me there) that's about it. Basically in those things, I'm still working on my own - either against my friend in Badminton, or against myself at the gym but with someone there to keep me company :) Team games are really not my cup of tea.
  • Superman_sean
    Superman_sean Posts: 12
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    Simple answer to your question. They are clueless. Tis all.
  • runnerjenn0708
    runnerjenn0708 Posts: 400 Member
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    I'm not a people person. Sports would require people.


    This made me chuckle !! THX - I needed it!
  • Hirundo
    Hirundo Posts: 148 Member
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    I like to run

    I can do it on my own schedule

    I can do with with my girlfriend

    I can combine it with other adventures, I do not have to stay on a soccer field for 3 hours, I can explore a path with a nice leisurely jog

    You do not need any equipment

    You do not need a membership

    You can relax and just be, running is often called "moving meditation"

    Running is awesome cardio exercise

    You can set goals and work towards them

    It is highly functional and transfers well to any sport pretty much

    ... and I just love it

    All this !

    And you can do it everywhere anytime .. all you need is your shoes ...
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    Wow, lots of replies since i went out to Badminton, getting ready for which was what got me thinking and made that original post!

    I guess i take my hand/eye co-ordination, availability, social skills (:huh: ), location, etc for granted!

    Interesting enough, many people said running was their mental enema (well, one person used those exact words, but i get the drift :P ) , giving them time to think etc. I guess that's the one reason why i DON'T like it, as it gives me to time think about things. The only way i get through each day is to try NOT to think about things! That's why i love my sports, as it takes my mind off my real life.

    Plus, being a smoker I'm not able to run that long :P
    but it boggles my mind why some people would not want to lift heavy weights.

    I would, but i'm afraid of getting DOMS on a badminton night... =/
  • alacyt
    alacyt Posts: 9
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    Why don't more people do strength training? Especially women. I believe running is a cult-ish fitness obsession. The people who do it seem to view it as a type of religion.
  • sarah307
    sarah307 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    i'd like to be part of a sport but there aren't any I can 'join' around here and I don't have any friends that play sports :/ which sucks! I used to play basketball a lot but not so much anymore


    btw, i think running is AWESOME LOL
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Why don't more people do strength training? Especially women. I believe running is a cult-ish fitness obsession. The people who do it seem to view it as a type of religion.

    That's quite a sweeping generalization. Yes, there are some who are like that, but not all of us are.
    Everyone else has pretty much covered why I run.

    PS - I do strength train too, but with shift work, it is a whole lot easier to get a run in than make it to the gym. I also bike, and swim.

    ETA - running also ties into my work as well.

    Also, as for team sports, again, with shiftwork, it isn't possible to be a regular member of a time. My schedule rotates meaning I am never off the same day.
  • strawberryromper
    strawberryromper Posts: 64 Member
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    I live in a very rural area; there are few opportunities for adults to play sports except in college. I enjoy running.
  • JamesBurkes
    JamesBurkes Posts: 382 Member
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    I suppose there are other factors at play, too. I like running mainly because I live in an area of outstanding beauty (or whatever the Government calls it). So on a nice day, I'm running down country lanes, through woodland, next to fields etc.

    Drop me in a city or town though, and I'm sure avoiding traffic, stopping at road junctions and running in circles around a park would become a chore very quickly.
  • JaredBergeron
    JaredBergeron Posts: 379 Member
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    Alot of this depends what your goals are. You dont see alot of runners or swimmers benching at the gym because muscle is heavy and slows down their times. I am into more of a GPP focus myself (google "General Physical Preparedness")
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    I never actually considered people actually enjoy running! :P

    i used to think the same way. :) now, i love running. funny how that turns about.
  • FitCoachJen
    FitCoachJen Posts: 139 Member
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    I'm a strength trainer-turned-runner if only to cross "running a half-marathon" off my bucket list.

    I miss heavy lifting so much, but alas, one must train for specificity. A lot of runners have been told to never, ever train their lower bodies because running utilizes a different muscle fiber and you work the heck outta those muscles whenever you run.
    So I run 3x/week and lift 2-3x/week and focus on my core and upper body. No more burly deadlifts 'til February.

    Running is cheap to get into and you can (literally) do it at your own pace. Weight training requires a good amount of space, a wide variety of heavy things to lift, and possibly a spotter. And yes, some people still fear bulking up...if only it were so easy.
  • VTGolden
    VTGolden Posts: 24 Member
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    I highly doubt that people run just to burn calories. Now when you see me bored out of my mind on one of those cardio machines at the gym while staring down at the "calories burned" number and praying for my obligatory half hour to be over, that's just to burn calories. People who get out and run for miles and miles, through inclement weather/injuries/soreness/etc. are clearly athletes and enjoy the "sport" of it and not just the caloric benefit. Just my opinion, from someone who'd rather skip a meal or three than get my lazy butt to a park and run! Kudos to those who do it.

    love this response! It says it all...thanks! :flowerforyou:
  • Halothane
    Halothane Posts: 69 Member
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    1) I enjoy the alone time with me, my thoughts, and the pavement beneath me.
    2)Can do it anywhere anytime....NEVER a schedule conflict
    3) All you need is your shoes.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Why don't more people do strength training? Especially women. I believe running is a cult-ish fitness obsession. The people who do it seem to view it as a type of religion.

    And people who lift weights aren't "cult-ish". Having been a part of both worlds, weight lifting is FAR more cult-ish in my opinion.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Maybe people run for fun... what an ignorant question.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    And you can do it everywhere anytime .. all you need is your shoes ...

    Some of us have to also have the proper attire to keep the girls in their place in order to run comfortably.
  • petrball
    petrball Posts: 8 Member
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    I had a heart attack back in 1987 when I was very fit due to a condition called familiahyperlipidaemia. It meant I was producing too much cholesterol even though I was fit and eating a good diet. As you can see I survived and was advised to ride a bike and walk afterwards.... I asked if I could swim...... the surgeon said it might not be a good idea in case I had another MI in the deep end, so now I walk loads while listening to good music and audiobooks.

    Whatever you do, if you raise your heart rate it will be good for you....
  • dukater
    dukater Posts: 2 Member
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    It is the only "ME" time I have and I can do this at 4:30 in the morning when my family is still sleeping. It is a stress reliever and a GREAT way to jump start the morning:) I LOVE to RUN!!!!

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