Is it bad to run everyday?

Francesca3434
Francesca3434 Posts: 65
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone, i started running a few months ago and i've been regularly increasing my speed and distance, but i wanted to know if running everyday is bad for me? i do push myself and i do regularly wake up feeling a bit sore, but i've never had an injury and my fitness if really improving... so my question is should i keep pushing through, even if i am sore, or should i space my runs out a bit more and do something else? whats the best plan to increase my fitness and is that soreness a sign that i should slow down, or just a sign that what i'm doing is working?

and if i change my plan can anyone suggest some good cross training exercises for the days that i don't run?

Thanks guys!

Replies

  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    I always recommend doing weight lifting as well as running, but you gotta do what you like to do. If you can run everyday without getting bored, tired or injured, then do it! Be aware once you, if you do, develop leg issues, to back on and rest your body.
  • lahm86
    lahm86 Posts: 1 Member
    bump
  • campi_mama
    campi_mama Posts: 350 Member
    It is important to give your body a rest. You will get stronger and faster, more quickly, if you give your body recovery time. If you "must", go out and walk. Do yoga or pilates. Weight train. Trust me, your body will thank you. 3-4 days a week is plenty.
  • esealjme
    esealjme Posts: 14
    I would always suggest asking a doctor. I have heard that you never want to exercise the same portions of your body every day, but I have also heard that running daily is good for you.
  • angusmike
    angusmike Posts: 97
    Your joints need some recover time. I wrecked my knees with 24 years of daily jogging/running. Why not alternate running with vigorous walking or biking? Still provide cardiovascular exercise while easing up on joint stress.
  • nf1982
    nf1982 Posts: 38 Member
    I would say try an every other day approach and do yoga in between.
  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
    There are two types of soreness. The one type is the dull type you get after a good workout of a muscle group, this type normally is okay to workout with and your body will just cramp or collapse if you over do it but not in a bad way, just due to fatigue. The second type is the sharp pain/soreness that is normally when the body is saying that motion or stress you are introducing to the body is not welcomed and you should probably stop cause that can cause bad injuries.

    So what I'm saying your body is the best on telling you when to stop and if it is bad for you to run everyday. If you have no pains then you are golden to do it but in general is a good idea to introduce or have rest days to just help the body recover and recharge. Some of my best workouts seem to be after rest days. Hopefully this helps you figure it out.
  • peachhunting
    peachhunting Posts: 59 Member
    Yes it is. When you run, especially if you push yourself like you say, then your muscles end up with microscopic tears. These tears are great because they heal and make you stronger, but you need time to heal.

    If you've been at it for awhile, why don't you incorporate a training program into your everyday life. Do a bit of a speedy run on tues, easy run on wed, take thur off, easy run fri, easy run sat, and go for a longer run sun with mon being an off day. You could even replace the wed run with cycling or something a little different.

    I started running a few years ago and although I am big and slow, have managed to run 4 half marathons injury free. And every year someone tries to join me, and they injure themselves because they don't rest, or pack on mileage too quick. And guess what, they can't do the half.
  • Arrabindi
    Arrabindi Posts: 169 Member
    I never run on consecutive days because it can increase the risk of injury. It's important to allow your body to rest. I know some people run every day, and maybe that works for them, but it's definitely not for me. I bike every day with no problems at all, but I can't run more than 3-4 times per week without getting sore ankles and knees.
  • kmoore02
    kmoore02 Posts: 167 Member
    I found that not running everyday improves my running. I have my best runs when I take breaks in between. It is hard for not to run everyday because I get anxious!
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    Running every day is ok unless you are running hard everyday. In that case you will eventually either overtrain or injure yourself and all progress will stop.

    The best way to get better at running is to run often, run long, and run easy most of the time to continuously improve your aerobic capacity. Run hard maybe once or twice a week and save the max efforts for races.

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