long distance running is bad, and HIIT?

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  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    I know that some people really can't run due to joint issues. I thought I was one of them for most of my life. When I was in my 20s I used to run about 3 miles a day. My knees, hips, and feet would hurt eventually it would become debilitating. Given I do have joint issues I figured I just couldn't run. While I continued to exercise, running just wasn't able to be a part of it.

    Fast forward 20 years. At the age of 46 I started running on a treadmill. I have other medical issues that make it unsafe for me to be out and doing that kind of burn. The roads here are very unsafe for walking, running and biking. My feet, knees and hips started hurting so badly that I could barely walk. I went to a running shoe store and had them fit me. Amazingly enough I have minimal pain now. I still have a little but it is not bad. At 47 I can now run 6 miles at 9 or 10 minutes per mile. No speed demon but not bad for an old lady.

    Running has improved my blood pressure, weight, T2, and moods. My older sister started to run at about 43 and now at 50 completed 12 marathons this year. She has run in the Boston marathon twice and is planning on going next year.

    Find what you like and go and do it. Of course strenuous exercise may not be right for you if you have medical conditions and you should talk to your dr. about it. I figure I'd rather die doing something than spend my life vegging on the couch and dying from not taking care of myself. It is inevitable that I will die. Every day is one day closer to it. It is about how I choose to live my life. I choose to feel good both physically and mentally.
  • Heitor70
    Heitor70 Posts: 56 Member
    Oh good grief. This again? People are always quick to point out so-and-so who died of a heart attack after running (!) but they don't bother to think about the thousands of other people who also died of a heart attack that day from poor lifestyle and diet choices (or the thousands of other runners who did not have a heart attack that day).

    Agree!
  • wildcelticrose
    wildcelticrose Posts: 40 Member
    Oh good grief...

    THIS? Again?

    The risks of a sedentary lifestyle far outweigh the risks of running.

    Your average person training for a marathon is going to be running a slow enough pace that it is not going to harm your heart.

    I've been running full and half marathons, as well as competing in triathlons for the last ten years, and I'm just fine.

    Yeah occasionally someone dies in a race or out on a run (normally from an undiagnosed congenital defect)

    So what?

    How many people die every year in their sleep from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure?

    You're at greater risk on your couch.

    As always, check with your doctor and start out any running program with good shoes (go to a real running store to be fitted) and start out slowly.
  • Brenda_1965
    Brenda_1965 Posts: 314 Member
    The Oxford journal refers to a thickened muscle in the heart in "elite athletes" definitely not me. I run 3 miles a day, and I DO have a regurgitating bicuspid valve. You must've missed the part about elite athletes' hearts. Not a huge deal, but this medical research journal seems pretty sound compared to the one originally quoted.

    Do I continue to run while waiting for a verdict on my heart's prognosis? YOU BET I DO, and so does my cardiologist. (I'm only 47!)
  • sevsmom
    sevsmom Posts: 1,172 Member
    New studies are showing that blood tests taken after distance races. . .like marathons or 50Ks, etc, show a marker that is usually only seen in people who are having heart attacks! Of course, at a lower level. So, it CAN create problems for some, and really is a concern for those who may have undiagnosed heart conditions!!

    I, myself, and a half marathon runner and I love it. I don't know if it's gonna kill me or not, but so far it's been a friend to me and I'm gonna stick with it. Of course, if I kick the bucket at my next race, I doubt my family will be too thrilled! (kidding)
  • likemeinvisible
    likemeinvisible Posts: 309
    In atletics, the only field you will find relatively old people who are still competitive is the marathon run. It takes years of training to achieve endurance and it's all about the cardiovascular system which becomes better - larger blood vessels and a better heart. Another example is the tour de france - no teenagers on the podium there.
    If it's so detrimental for your health why do you become better with old age !?

    It's the weightlifting you should be worried about:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJcd5cT66Yg
    http://www.steadyhealth.com/Weightlifting_poses_death_risk_t77098.html
    http://videos.howstuffworks.com/sciencentral/2628-weight-lifting-death-video.htm

    eta: It's not all about the cvs, there are of course other factors and they are all beneficial to your health.

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